He passed a Fresno police lieutenant in a stolen car. Now he’s in custody

A man described by Fresno police as a habitual auto thief was arrested late Tuesday night after he passed a Fresno police lieutenant in a stolen SUV, police reported.

Anthony Gomez, 27, a gang member on probation for burglary, was taken into custody after passing Lt. Larry Bowlan in a stolen Ford Expedition about 10 p.m. near East Grant and North Orchard avenues.

A police spokesman said the lieutenant ran a routine license plate check on the car, which turned out to have been stolen earlier in the day from the area of North Blackstone and Sierra avenues.

Gomez was taken into custody nearby, along with Erika Ayala, 23. Both were booked on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle.

This story was originally published March 13, 2019 at 9:24 AM.