A 30-year-old Modesto man was jailed on Tuesday, May 19 after he was caught by a Ceres Police officer helping himself to the speaker from a disabled car parked near of Herndon Road and Joyce Avenue.

At 11:33 p.m. Officer Eric Souza was stopped at a red light when he observed Vernon Sanders, 30, of Modesto leaning into the driver’s side of the nearby car nearby and struggling with something in the back seat. Officer Souza hit the vehicle with his spotlight and saw Sanders emerge from the car holding a large speaker box with wires dangling out of the door.

Sanders claimed to have permission from the car owner to remove the property but then Officer Souza noticed the in-dash stereo had also been removed and was sitting on the sidewalk.

Sanders, who was on probation for violation of a court order, was detained while another officer contacted the registered owner of the car about a mile away. The owner said he left the car parked and locked down the street after it broke down earlier that day.

Found on Sanders was a shaved key, commonly used to break into and steal vehicles. He faces charges of vehicle burglary, committing a burglary during a state of emergency, committing a crime while out on bail, possession of burglary tools and probation violations.