The Angels Camp Police Department is advising community members of an incident that occurred just outside the City limits, and requesting that residents be on the lookout for this vehicle and associated occupants.
On 04/26/18, at approximately 4:30 PM, a resident on Whittle Road observed an unknown vehicle and a male subject that was attempting to gain access to her property by cutting a lock and disabling an electric motor on the gate to the property. The unknown male suspect had rendered the license plate on the suspect vehicle unreadable by mounting the plate back side out. (See photos of vehicle.) The male was described as possibly Hispanic, approximately 5'10" and wearing blue coveralls.
The male suspect fled in the vehicle when confronted, and the victim was able to photograph the suspect vehicle and follow the vehicle while summoning law enforcement. The vehicle was ultimately followed to the 600 block of Tuolumne Avenue in Angels Camp, where the male suspect parked the vehicle and entered a residence. An Angels Camp PD officer and a deputy from the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office met with the victim at that location, and questioned a female on scene that implicated herself in the incident.
Jessica Pacheco, a 32 year old Angels Camp resident, told officers on scene that she was responsible for the vehicle, CA license plate # 4HAY679, a 1999 red Dodge Caravan. The vehicle is registered to David Copeland, a Vallecito resident, however Pacheco advised investigating officers that she borrowed the vehicle from another subject that she refused to identify. Pacheco was uncooperative and refused to identify the male subject that was witnessed by multiple people, damaging the gate on Whittle Road and driving the vehicle.
The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office is investigating the vandalism that occurred in their jurisdiction.
If anyone has information related to the identity of the male that was observed by witnesses damaging the gate on Whittle Road and driving the suspect vehicle, please contact the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office or the Angels Camp Police Department, at 209-754-6500.
This case is a good example of alert residents and property owners cooperating with their local law enforcement to prevent the serious quality-of-life property crimes that are plaguing our area. The Angels Camp Police Department would like to remind residents to call 911 immediately when you observe in-progress activity that is criminal in nature. Non-emergency business lines may be utilized to report other suspicious activity.
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