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Released inmate stopped in attempted auto theft
Gabriel Moreno
Gabriel Moreno

A 39-year-old Hayward man who was just released from custody at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center was arrested moments later as he was trying to steal a pickup in the parking lot of the nearby Community Services Agency at 251 E. Hackett Road on Wednesday morning, May 6.

At 8:23 a.m. witnesses observed Gabriel Moreno, 39, of Hayward walking through the employee parking lot of the facility, looking into vehicles and trying to open them. A security guard located Moreno as he entered the driver side of a gardener’s pickup. The security guard yelled to the gardener, who was using a leaf blower in the area and ran towards the pickup. Moreno began to drive off as the gardener jumped into the bed of the pickup. Another bystander pulled in front of the pickup to block Moreno. The security guard then detained Moreno until Ceres Police Officer Charles Rushing arrived.

Moreno had been released from the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center (PSC) moments earlier for an arrest the day before by the California Highway Patrol for misdemeanor driving on a suspended license and felony vandalism. Both of his charges are eligible for zero-bail pursuant to the California Judicial Council’s emergency mandate stemming from the COVID-19 health pandemic.

Moreno told police that he was upset that he was unable to eat breakfast that morning because jail staff refused to give him the sandwich he asked for prior to leaving the jail.

Moreno was booked into the jail for grand theft auto.