NOVATO – Just before 10 a.m. Friday morning, an automated license plate reader (ALPR) in a Novato patrol car alerted officers to a possible stolen vehicle entering US 101 from Bel Marin Keys Boulevard. Novato Officers Wacholz and Black stopped the vehicle on Highway 37. California Highway Patrol officers also assisted and two suspects were taken into custody.
Vanessa Marie Lewis, a 29-year-old woman, and Jacob Richard Duran, a 30-year-old man, both from Vallejo were taken into custody for vehicle theft.
Cameras mounted on top of police cars allow the License plate recognition system to recognize plates.
Duran also had an outstanding felony warrant for assault and battery issued by Solano County. Lewis also had outstanding misdemeanor warrant for reckless driving and a felony warrant for possession of a controlled substance. Other open charges on Lewis include driving with a suspended license and possession of unlawful paraphernalia. Bail has been set at $25,000 for both suspects.
The vehicle was reported stolen in Contra Costa County on 6/22/14.
The Novato Police Department currently has several patrol vehicles equipped with ALPR’s. The ALPR system can recognize license plates that have been entered into the database, and gathers valuable information that can assist with investigations.
