Five arrested in multi-agency auto theft task force sweep

BARSTOW • Officers arrested five people on minor charges in a sweep conducted by members of a vehicle theft task force in Barstow Wednesday.

About 20 officers from the member agencies of the San Bernardino County Auto Theft Task Force spent the day checking up on people on probation or parole for auto theft-related crimes and the people who associate with them, said California Highway Patrol Lt. Steve Urrea.

Officers contacted about a dozen people and recovered one suspected stolen all-terrain vehicle engine but no stolen vehicles in the process, he said.

According to the Barstow sheriff’s station, Rodney Hensely, 22, was arrested on suspicion of failure to appear in court on a charge of being under the influence of drugs. George Kushaney, 31, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. Alice Hanners, 38, and Terry Hileman, 49, were arrested on suspicion of parole violation. Gerald Parker, 37, was arrested on suspicion of failure to appear in court on charges of possession of a controlled substance.

The number of auto thefts reported in San Bernardino County has dropped for the past two years, Urrea said. The task force plans to conduct future sweeps in Victorville, Fontana and other areas of the county, as a way of putting car thieves on notice.

Member agencies of the auto theft task force include the CHP, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino Police Department, Fontana Police Department, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Insurance and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Urrea said.

To report any information relating to vehicle thefts, call the Barstow sheriff’s station at 760-256-4838. To remain anonymous, call WE-TIP at 1-800-78-CRIME or leave information on the WeTip Web site at www.wetip.com.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4123 or asewell@desertdispatch.com