6 Teens Held in North County Car Theft Ring of Joy Riders

Five youths believed to be members of a North County auto-theft ring who stole an undetermined number of cars over the last six months were among six youths arrested in two separate incidents Thursday, one involving gunplay with a patrolman, police said.

“The interesting thing is that they weren’t taking the cars to sell them or to take them apart, they were just joy riding,” San Diego police spokesman Dave Cohen said.

The first arrests came after a patrol officer at Portofino Drive and Carmel Valley Road spotted a blue Toyota pickup that had been reported stolen from a UC San Diego parking lot last Monday, Cohen said.

The driver of the pickup sped off when police approached the vehicle, going through several stop signs and narrowly missing a San Diego Gas & Electric truck, Cohen said. The chase continued on thoroughfares on the east side of Interstate 5 to the 3700 block of Arroyo Sorrento Road, a dead end.

Once cornered, the driver of the pickup spun around and headed in the direction of the patrol car, Cohen said.

“Officer (Johan) Schneider got out and was forced to jump out of the way as the pickup struck the police car and continued,” Cohen said. “Officer Schneider fired three times and struck one of the tires.”

Youths Ran Into Canyon

Cohen said the chase then continued for two miles along streets on the west side of Interstate 5 before the officers discovered the abandoned truck in an off-road area. Three youths ran into a canyon, where they were arrested after a brief foot chase. Their names were withheld because of their ages, Cohen said, and they were being held in Juvenile Hall.

The 17-year-old driver was booked on suspicion of auto theft, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving, and failure to yield, Cohen said. A boy and girl, both 14, were arrested on suspicion of auto theft and resisting arrest.

The other arrests occurred after officers spotted a Honda near Interstate 5 in the Del Mar area, Cohen said. The car had been stolen “moments before” from the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant on Via de la Valle, he said.

5 Had Previous Arrests

Arrested were two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old, Cohen said. The three were booked on suspicion of auto theft.

“Investigators believe that at least five of the six arrested are part of a North County auto-theft ring over the past six months,” Cohen said.

He said five of the youngsters previously had been arrested for auto theft by the San Diego Police and Sheriff’s departments.

Three vehicles were recovered following the arrests, Cohen said. He said he did not know how many auto thefts the youths allegedly committed.