When Ceres Police Officer Nicolas Welsh went to help a motorist push a disabled vehicle near the AM/PM at Whitmore Avenue and Ninth Street Friday morning, his suspicions led to a discovery that it was stolen.

At 7:55 a.m. Officer Welsh suspected something wasn’t right because the vehicle had been spray painted with a rattle can and done in two-tone fashion. When Officer Welsh ran the plate the last four digits of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) did not match. He learned the car had been stolen in Waterford. The driver, Robert Burgess, 25, of Modesto, was arrested for auto theft. He was also charged with felony vandalism after a search of the vehicle revealed fresh spray paint cans and paint on his fingers.