A daylong manhunt resulted in the capture of a suspected auto thief on Sunday, as he hid in the rafters of a Sierra Street detached garage.
Scotty Rocha, 33, was initially pursued by the California Highway Patrol after he fled from officers while driving a stolen vehicle. At about 1:21 p.m. Sunday, the Turlock Police Department was called in to assist the CHP in the hunt.
A perimeter was established in the vicinity of Main Street, Berkeley Avenue, Colorado Avenue, and Hawkeye Avenue and the neighborhood was put on lockdown Monday afternoon as police searched for Rocha. Initially, he eluded capture.
Rocha was located at about 7:10 p.m., hiding in the basement of a home in the 1200 block of Main St. He ran again, and was ultimately captured while hiding in the rafters of a detached garage on Sierra Street.
Rocha was arrested for multiple outstanding warrants, auto theft, and possession of methamphetamine.
The California State University, Stanislaus Police and Stanislaus County Auto Theft Taskforce participated in the search as well.