LAFAYETTE, CA — Two Oakland residents were arrested in Stockton on Tuesday after Lafayette police detectives tracked down a stolen vehicle connected to a series of auto burglaries committed in Lafayette last month, authorities announced.
Leticia Fernandez, 25, and Jose Luis Barajas Avalos, 29, were taken into custody after a pursuit involving the Delta Regional Auto Theft Task Force (Delta RATT), which includes law enforcement from multiple San Joaquin County agencies and the California Highway Patrol.
Detectives located the stolen vehicle in Stockton on August 12 and alerted Delta RATT, whose officers attempted to stop the car. The vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit that ended when Fernandez allegedly fled on foot and barricaded herself in a nearby apartment. Both suspects were arrested when they exited the residence.
Fernandez faces multiple felony charges including vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, evading police, obstruction, conspiracy, and violating probation. Barajas Avalos faces similar charges excluding the evading count. Both are being held without bail in the San Joaquin County Jail.
The suspects are also under investigation for additional crimes in other parts of the Bay Area. Police are urging anyone with information to contact the Lafayette Police Department.
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Key Points
- Two Oakland residents were arrested in Stockton after police linked them to a stolen vehicle used in Lafayette auto burglaries
- Leticia Fernandez and Jose Luis Barajas Avalos are both being held without bail on multiple felony charges
- The case remains under investigation, and the suspects are tied to additional Bay Area crimes
Suspected Lafayette car burglars caught in Stockton after foot chase and apartment standoff