Police snag alleged vehicle thief, burglar

BARSTOW • Police arrested a Barstow man Thursday who allegedly stole at least six vehicles and burglarized two more in just over a month.

James Bowles, 22, was arrested on the 28000 block of Rimrock Road at 2 :14 a.m. after he tried to flee from police attempting to question him about the thefts.

Officers in the Street Enforcement Team were investigating a spike in stolen vehicles in the area south of Interstate 15 and west of Barstow Road when they noticed a “suspicious subject” in the area near Rimrock Road at Garnet Street at about 1:54 a.m. Thursday. When the officers attempted to speak to Bowles, he fled on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, the officers found him hiding under a vehicle in someone’s yard.

After investigation, police found three of the six stolen vehicles in a vacant property near Bowles home in the same area of his arrest, Police Sgt. Mike Hunter said. Three vehicles had previously been recovered by police. Bowles was found to have 17 sanded down keys which are often used to steal vehicles.

Bowles stole mostly older, smaller Hondas and stripped them for parts, Hunter said. Bowles is also implicated in two vehicle burglaries, as well.

“It’s a good caper for those two SET team officers,” Hunter said. “They did a good job getting this guy into custody.”

Bowles was booked for two counts of burglary, six counts of possession of stolen property and 17 counts of possession of burglary tools, according to a report by the Barstow Police Department.

Hunter said he will likely be charged with grand theft when a final report is submitted to the District Attorney’s office.

In addition to his theft charges, Bowles had two active warrants for driving under the influence.

Bowles was booked into the San Bernardino County jail in Barstow in lieu of $180,000 bail.

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