Yucca Valley man arrested for grand theft auto

A 22-year-old Yucca Valley man was arrested Thursday night for grand theft auto after driving off in a car that had the keys left in the ignition.

Deputies said the car was stolen in the 73500 block of Desert Trail in 29 Palms around 8:30 p.m. Matthew Guerrero was taken into custody after authorities saw him driving the stolen vehicle in Joshua Tree.

According to the release, the victim left his vehicle parked in the driveway of his home with the key in the ignition while he went back inside his house briefly. He came back outside to find his vehicle had been stolen.

He immediately reported the theft and about 50 minutes later a deputy spotted the vehicle in Joshua Tree traveling westbound on Twentynine Palms Highway approaching Yucca Mesa Road, authorities said.

Guerrero was stopped at Avalon Avenue, just south of Yucca Trail in Yucca Valley, and was taken into custody. He was also on parole for robbery charges.

Guerrero was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail for grand theft auto and for violating his parole. He’s being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.