Lodi police arrest six in separate incidents over the weekend
Lodi police investigated a long list of incidents this weekend, including a woman driving a stolen vehicle, a man who allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and threatened to kill her, a man who was tampering with mail, two men accused of burglarizing vehicles and a man who assaulted an officer.
Officers Ryan La Rue and Jordan Lado recognized a stolen Saturn sedan while out on patrol early on Saturday morning at 4 a.m., according to the Lodi Police Department. The driver was heading east on Turner Road. When officers tried to catch up to the car, the driver began evading officers.
Eventually, they were able to stop the driver in the area of Stanislaus and Calaveras streets, where the driver, 28-year-old Sandra Angel of Lodi was removed from the vehicle and arrested on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle and auto theft.
At 4:45 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a report of a kidnapping that occurred earlier that evening at the El Encanto Sports Bar on the 100 block of N. Cherokee Lane. The suspect allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend and forced her into his car. He drove her into the county while repeatedly punching her, police said.
The victim was able to convince Apolonio Melo to let her go after he threatened to kill her, police said. The victim has been treated for severe injuries to her face and is safe, police said.
Lodi detectives found Melo in Stockton and took him into custody with the help of Stockton Police. Melo was arrested and booked into the Lodi City Jail on suspicion of kidnapping, robbery, domestic violence and threats.
On Sunday at 11:15 a.m., police say 51-year-old Robert Haro of Lodi allegedly assaulted an officer as he was being arrested for multiple warrants. He was located in the 300 block of Chestnut Street. When officers spotted Haro, he ignored commands from an officer and led police on a short foot pursuit, according to Lodi Police Lt. Fernando Martinez.
Haro allegedly grabbed an item from a nearby storage shed and attacked officers. Officers deployed their Tasers before taking him into custody, Martinez said.
Haro was arrested and booked on six outstanding arrest warrants and on suspicion of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.
A mail theft suspect was caught Monday after police responded to the area of Cheney Court for a report of a man tampering with mailboxes at 2:55 a.m. Officers searched the area and found a suspect, 21-year-old Cheo Tessaro of Lodi, on Virginia Avenue.
After a search, officers found Tessaro in possession of property that didn’t belong to him, police said, including many official documents, checks and bank statements.
Tessaro was arrested on suspicion of possessing burglary tools, misappropriation of property and possession of methamphetamine. Police are asking residents of the Cheney Court area to contact dispatch at 209-333-6727 if they have had mail that they are certain has been stolen.
Another incident occurred early Monday morning at 3:20 a.m. when officers were dispatched to Legacy Way on a report of a suspicious man on a bike in a resident’s front yard.
On the way, officers noticed several vehicles with doors open that appeared to have been burglarized. In front of the residence, officers found 28-year-old Joshua Akins of Lodi inside of the victim’s vehicle. Nearby, officers also found 38-year-old Demetrius Garcia of Woodbridge, who the victim identified as also being involved, police said.
Garcia was arrested and booked in the Lodi City Jail on a warrant for his arrest and on suspicion of conspiracy and possessing methamphetamine. Akins was arrested on suspicion of stealing from vehicles, conspiracy and possessing stolen property.