Man crashes car, steals another from a good Samaritan who stopped, California deputies say
Deputies arrested a man Thursday who they say crashed a car and then used an AR-15 style rifle to steal a second car from a good Samaritan, according to Kings County Sheriff’s Office.
A man deputies identified as Jorge Lua, 36, crashed the Kia Sorento he was driving around 2:30 p.m. Jan. 17 after running a stop sign near Sixth and Houston avenues, according to the sheriff’s office.
Witnesses said he was traveling at a high rate of speed, lost control and the Kia rolled several times in the crash on a rural road east of Hanford, according to a news release.
A good Samaritan stopped to help him before Lua exited the crashed car with what deputies described as an “AR-15 style rifle.” The good Samaritan fled to a nearby orchard and Lua stole the good Samaritan’s service truck, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives said they used a receipt in the Kia from a Visalia store, and tracked down surveillance video at the store that they said showed Lua.
The investigation continued for several weeks and then Tulare County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they recognized Lua from felony convictions, according to the news release.
Those included convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle, assault with a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public, burglary and being felon in possession of a firearm, deputies said.
King’s County detectives used that information to find Lua in Tulare County, the office said.
He was booked into Kings County Jail on suspicion of carjacking, being a felon in possession of a firearm, auto theft and possession of a stolen vehicle. His bail was set at $165,000, deputies said.
