IRVINE : 2 Suspects Held in Auto Theft Case

Two San Francisco Bay Area residents suspected of stealing a car, a wallet full of credit cards and at least one blank check taken from a Laguna Hills business have been arrested, authorities said Wednesday.

Kimberly Dawn Masincup, 23, of San Mateo, and Yarub Marwan Taher, 27, of San Francisco, were being held on $10,000 bail each at Orange County Jail, Sheriff’s Department Lt. Richard J. Olson said.

The pair were scheduled to appear today for arraignment on auto theft and possession of stolen property charges at Harbor Municipal Court, Olson said.

CHP Officer Angel Johnson said that two CHP officers riding north along the San Diego Freeway about 11 p.m. Tuesday saw a car idling on the freeway emergency lane south of the Culver Drive off-ramp.

“They thought it was a disabled vehicle,” Johnson said.

But as the patrol car pulled up, the driver sped off, she said. A short chase ensued and then the car, reported stolen Sept. 15 from a Dollar Rent-a-Car lot in San Francisco, turned off at Culver Drive and stopped, she said.

The two were arrested without incident, Johnson said. A search of the car after the arrests also turned up four credit cards believed stolen and two blank checks, one of which has been confirmed stolen, she said.

Investigators were looking into whether a blank check from a Los Angeles business was stolen. In addition, a video recorder, believed bought with one of the credit cards, was discovered in the car.

Johnson said the pair appeared to have been heading north to San Francisco when they were stopped.