Suspected car thief arrested In La Quinta

Deputies tracked down a stolen car and arrested the suspected thief, a sheriff’s sergeant said today.

Sheriff’s deputies received a report on Wednesday of a car stolen from near Avenue 52 and Jefferson Street in La Quinta, Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. David Aldrich said.

La Quinta Special Enforcement Team deputies later spotted the stolen vehicle traveling at a high speed on Avenida Martinez, but did not pursue it in the interest of safety, Aldrich said.

The suspect, Sander Gonzalez, 48, of La Quinta, was taken into custody at the corner of Avenida Mendoza and Calle Nogales.

He was taken to the Indio jail, where he was being held on $10,000 bail on suspicion of two felony car theft charges.

The car later was spotted in the 51500 block of Avenida Martinez, parked and unoccupied. Deputies were able to return the stolen car to its owner.