Redding man just into stealing cars

by Ken Kiunke , February 26, 2014

REDDING – Benjamin Green, a 34-year-old Redding man, was arrested Monday for the second time in a week for stealing a car. This time he led officers on a high speed chase before surrendering.

At a little after 4:00 in the afternoon Monday, a Redding Police officer spotted a reported stolen vehicle headed north on Market Street near Trinity and the Sacramento River crossing. The officer attempted a traffic stop, but the driver, Green, kept going. He followed Market to get on the northbound Interstate 5, got off on Wonderland Boulevard a few miles north, and back down to Shasta Lake City. Fortunately, as reported by the Redding Police, traffic was light, and despite reaching speeds of up to 110 miles per hour, there were no collisions during the chase.

The chase ended at the Sunshine Market, but only with the help of a police dog.

After heading down Shasta Dam Blvd. in Shasta Lake, and after 13 miles of the pursuit, he stopped at the Sunshine Market. Despite stopping, Green did not cooperate with the officers, and they deployed a K-9 named Tarro to help subdue him.

In addition to his arrest last week, Green was notable for a November 2013 incident when he stole a Heavenly Donut delivery van, crashing into a tree, which caused the van to catch fire. His injuries in this incident required surgery, and Highway 299W was closed until 7 am, according to a report by KRCR Channel 7. They have also reported that Green has been arrested in other stolen vehicle incidents dating back to 2006.

Green was booked into Shasta County jail after treatment for his minor injuries due to his detainment by the police dog. He is being charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, failure to yield, and resisting arrest. The stolen car was returned to its owner. And Redding car owners are no doubt hoping they will find room to hold on to Green for a much longer sentence this time around.