ROCKLIN—Two men were arrested on Tuesday, July 15 on suspicion of stealing three Volkswagen minibuses that were customized to look like bright orange Tillamook cheese loafs.
Brian Lancaster, 32, and Ryan Monaco, 38, both of Sacramento, were pulled over in Rocklin and taken into custody by members of an auto theft task force, said Manteca Police Chief Nick Obligacion.
A third suspect, Michael Timothy Davy, was taken in custody on Wednesday, July 16 at 12:20 pm at his home in San Joaquin County. Multiple agencies set up surveillance around Davy’s home, and when he eventually left his house, he was immediately taken into custody.
The tempting buses the trio could not resist – one for each of them.
The minibuses, worth $100,000 each, were stolen Saturday, July 12 from a hotel parking lot in Manteca, where they had stopped on a tour promoting the Oregon-based Tillamook County Creamery Association’s dairy products.
A tip led investigators to the vehicles in a storage locker about 50 miles away from Manteca. Obligacion said one of the suspects had rented the storage locker.
Lancaster and Monaco were being held for investigation of auto theft, possession of stolen vehicles, conspiracy and arson.
A truck and trailer that were part of the entourage were found torched and abandoned on Saturday. The minibuses were found in their original condition.
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