Citizen alerts deputies of alleged car thief

An astute SCV citizen was credited Tuesday with enabling deputies’ arrest of a suspected car thief.

Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, posted details on the station’s Facebook page about the arrest Saturday of a 27-year-old transient accused of stealing a car.

In posing the question, “How did we catch him?” Miller credits the actions of a person who reported suspicious activity for alerting deputies to a crime.

“It all started when we received a phone call reporting suspicious activity — the caller said there was a man trying door handles on cars in a shopping center parking lot on Golden Valley Road, near (Highway 14 freeway), the post read. “The caller provided a detailed physical description of the suspect to the dispatcher, including what he was wearing.

“Deputies rolled over to the location and immediately spotted the man matching the description given.”

Deputies also noticed the man was exhibiting symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance, Miller added.

Deputies asked the man about his vehicle, she said.

The man pointed to a vehicle, Miller said, which was reportedly stolen out of Hollywood.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto and narcotics charges, she said. And a grateful car owner was notified their vehicle had been