At about 1:00am Sunday, Turlock Police responded to an auto theft at a residence in the 1800 block of Joett Drive.

The caller reported that his black 2020 Chevrolet Camaro with yellow stripes had been stolen from the residence sometime after 9:00pm. He was tracking the vehicle and reported that it had just gotten off the freeway and was northbound on Countryside Drive from Fulkerth Road. As a result, several officers started heading in that direction in an attempt to locate the vehicle.

The victim then provided another update that the vehicle had entered the new housing development on Countryside Drive just north of W. Tuolumne Road, and was on Wisteria Lane.

Two nearby officers were able to quickly block both entrances into the development.

While in his position, Officer Khounlivong spotted the vehicle parked in front of a residence in the 2400 block of Wisteria Lane and noticed two men subjects bail from it. The subjects quickly began jumping fences into backyards and briefly got away.

While setting up a perimeter, dispatch received a call from a residence in the 2500 block of Craftsman Street reporting someone in their backyard.

University Officer Reed located and contacted two subjects on Bungalow Lane, just north of the residence. They were identified as Elvis Mendoza, 22, of Turlock, and a 16-year-old boy. Both matched the suspect descriptions provided by Khounlivong.

Mendoza and the 17-year-old were both arrested on charges of auto theft, buying or receiving a stolen vehicle, vandalism, and obstructing or resisting a public officer in the discharge of their duty. Mendoza was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center, while the 17-year-old was booked into Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall.