A routine license plate check on Sunday afternoon resulted in a pair of arrests, with Escalon Police taking the driver and passenger into custody after discovering the vehicle had been reported as stolen.
On Sunday, Aug. 20 just after noon, Officer Steven Quilici was on patrol westbound in the area of Highway 120 and Irwin. He saw a white 1991 Ford pickup in front of him and completed a check on the license number. The check revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen two days prior, via the CHP out of San Andreas. Sergeant Gustavo Flores responded to assist Officer Quilici and they completed a high-risk enforcement stop on the vehicle.
There were two subjects in the vehicle; the driver was identified as Brian Rice, 55, from Lodi, and the passenger identified as Pamela Cipolloni, 53, from Lockeford. Cipolloni was listed as the suspect in the theft of the vehicle. After both subjects were secured, a search of the vehicle was conducted.
Multiple items were located, according to police. Those included a glass pipe used to smoke methamphetamine containing residue, numerous zip lock bags filled with marijuana, weighing over four ounces, and numerous prescription pills that appeared to be Oxycodone and Prednisone, none of which were in marked prescription bottles.
Also, between the driver and passenger seat on the floorboard near the stick shift of the vehicle, police located a chainsaw blade with a rope tied around it, that was partially concealed inside a black hand glove. The chainsaw blade appeared to be a makeshift weapon.
Rice stated he was unaware the vehicle was stolen, and was driving it back to Lockeford for Cipolloni. He was unaware of the other items in the vehicle. Rice claimed the victim loaned the vehicle to her to use to run some errands. She said a third party left some of the items found in the vehicle.
Police said Rice was arrested for possession of stolen property and auto theft. Cipolloni was arrested for possession of stolen property, auto theft, and possession of controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and medications without a prescription.
As of press time Tuesday, Cipolloni was still in custody in the San Joaquin County Jail; Rice was not listed in the system.