WATSONVILLE — An Aptos man got his stolen SUV back Friday morning less than 24 hours after he reported it stolen, thanks to quick work by several law enforcement agencies.
Robert McCrohan said he called the police after he was awoken early Thursday morning by his neighbor who noticed his Ford Escape was missing.
On Friday morning, Santa Cruz County Auto Theft Reduction and Enforcement Task Force (SCARE) noticed the vehicle was on the move in Watsonville, and alerted local law enforcement agencies.
Soon, CHP officer John Niggli spotted the SUV near Watsonville Community Hospital and attempted to stop the driver.
The driver, James Hood, turned onto the road that runs through the hospital grounds, stopped the SUV and attempted to flee on foot, Niggli said.
Meanwhile, officials from Watsonville Police Department and Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office arrived to lend their assistance.
Police stopped Hood as he tried to run into the hospital, and then chased him through a ravine toward Airport Boulevard, Niggli said.
Hood was arrested after unsuccessfully trying to blend in with a crowd of protesters at Nielsen Street and Airport Boulevard.
McCrohan said there was no damage to his vehicle when he came to pick it up Friday.
He said the suspect started the car with a spare key he kept under a floor mat, a practice he said he has discontinued.
“I thought it was safe, because it was parked on my property,” he said.
Receiving a call that his vehicle was recovered was a “wow” moment, McCrohan said.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “It’s a good job by the Highway Patrol. They are there when you need them.”
Hood was charged with vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, evading a police officer, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and a probation violation. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on $10,000 bail, jail records showed.
