'He Came Around Here And He Passed Out': Suspected Thief Arrested Twice The Same Day In Auburn
NORTH AUBURN (CBS13) — Authorities say they arrested an Auburn man twice in one day, both times on suspicion of theft.
Back on the morning of Oct. 14, the Placer County Sheriff's Office says they got a report about someone seen stealing from mailboxes along Linda Drive in the North Auburn area. The suspect was also reportedly seen stealing tools out of a truck.
"As we all...gathered our stories together we figured out that he had been going through the mailboxes and he came around here and he passed out," said Rebecca Reed who lives in the area.
Deputies got to the scene and say they found that the suspect, 33-year-old Auburn resident David Fuchs, had stolen mail from more than 25 people. About $1,500 worth of tools were also stolen from the truck, deputies say.
Reed says she saw the suspect in his car asleep before his first arrest.
"We end up over here and we see a guy from the county [and] he said there was a break-in over there," she said.
Fuchs was arrested on suspicion of grand theft, mail theft, and identity theft charges. However, the sheriff's office says he was released from custody later in the morning.
Later that same day, deputies responded to investigate a reported burglary along Panorama Way in North Auburn. Deputies say the victim reported his home had been burglarized at some point in the past few days – with the suspect taking clothing, bedding, and even a wedding band. Further, the suspect also appeared to have spray-painted derogatory words on the walls and floors of the home.
Evidence found inside the home led deputies to suspect that Fuchs was also behind the burglary. Exactly what evidence they found was not disclosed, but deputies soon found Fuchs again – and he was allegedly wearing the victim's shoes, and had the stolen clothes in his car.
Fuchs was arrested again, this time on burglary, vandalism, and possession of stolen property charges.
We asked the sheriff's office why the suspect was released from custody the first time and were told the jail only has space for the worst criminals and was not due to zero bail.