A 29-year-old Fairfield man remained in the San Joaquin County Jail as of Monday, Nov. 23 in connection with the recovery of stolen vehicles in Escalon.

The first vehicle was recovered on Nov. 10 in the Plaza Shopping Center in the 1200 block of Plaza Avenue. Inside the vehicle, Officer Carl Poortinga found receipts connecting three suspects to the stolen vehicle, two (unnamed) females and one male, identified as Bobby Lee White, 29, of Fairfield.

On Monday, Nov. 16, Officer Nathaniel Vieira stopped a vehicle for exiting the Plaza Shopping Center through the one way entrance. The vehicle was registered to and driven by one of the females who was named on a receipt from the stolen vehicle located earlier, on Nov. 10. Sergeant Anthony Hardgraves recognized the registered owner’s name from the receipt. Sergeant Hardgraves and Officer Poortinga went to assist Officer Vieira and question the occupants about the stolen vehicle.

White, who was a passenger in the vehicle that Officer Vieira had stopped, originally provided Officer Vieira with a false name. Sergeant Hardgraves was able to positively identify White, who was subsequently taken into custody for providing false information to a peace officer. A search of White also revealed a small quantity of suspected methamphetamine.

During further investigation, Officer Poortinga was able to locate another stolen vehicle parked at the Plaza Shopping Center. Video surveillance from the area shows White parking the stolen vehicle and then leaving the area in the vehicle he was contacted as a passenger in; the vehicle Officer Vieira made a traffic stop on.

White was arrested for providing false information to a peace officer, possession of methamphetamine, and vehicle theft. He was subsequently booked into the San Joaquin County Jail.