Thanks to quick work by Ceres Police officers, a woman has her car back after it was stolen and a suspect was jailed.

The owner of a blue Toyota Avalon had to park inside the lot of the Walmart Supercenter at Service and Mitchell roads on July 10 due to a medical emergency she was having and needed to be rushed to the hospital. When she returned on July 13 to retrieve her car it was gone and she called police.

At 1:57 a.m. Officer Eric Souza took a stolen vehicle report and soon thereafter discovered the woman’s Toyota parked behind Farmer Boys restaurant just across the street with the engine running and occupied by Ronald Jones, 57. He was detained and arrested.

Jones was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for vehicle theft, possession of stolen property and a violation of probation. 

The vehicle was returned to its owner.