The Paso Robles Police Department arrested two men on Sunday for allegedly stealing a vehicle.
According to PRPD, officers responded to a call on the 100 block of Niblick Road regarding a suspicious subject possibly driving a stolen Mercedes Benz. The call came from a local gas station clerk. Once officers arrived on the scene, they located the 2010 Mercedes Benz. The vehicle was confirmed as stolen from Palmdale.
According to officers, the driver, Michael Frank Tidd, 55, of Paso Robles exited the vehicle and began walking away in an attempt to elude officers. However, officers took Tidd quickly into custody without further incident.
Investigators state a search of the vehicle revealed stolen property from at least five different victims from spanning several different jurisdictions. Officers even recovered a Norwegian passport.
One victim was the Kohl’s department store in Paso Robles that had reported the theft of almost $2,000 worth of merchandise the previous day.
An additional driver was identified – Clyde Cody Roberts, 25, of Templeton, who was discovered after officers viewed surveillance video of the stolen Mercedes.
Michael Frank Tidd
Soon after, Roberts was located on the railroad tracks just south of 13th Street and was placed under arrest for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Roberts was also in possession of stolen property from two additional victims in southern California, as well as credit cards and an international driver’s license belonging to the owner of the Norwegian passport.
Investigators state Roberts was driving the stolen Mercedes and was directly involved in the Kohl’s theft. The estimated value of the recovered stolen property according to PRPD investigators, including the vehicle, is $35,000.
Tidd was arrested for auto theft and an outstanding warrant and for possession of stolen property. His bail was set at $25,000. Roberts was arrested for auto theft, possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia, receiving stolen property, two failure-to-appear warrants and for being under the influence of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $37,000.
Records show that Michael Tidd has been arrested at least a dozen times over the past seven years, on mostly drug and paraphernalia possession offenses, along with DUI and driving on a suspended license. Clyde Roberts has a similar history while living in both Templeton and Paso Robles, but with the inclusion of grand theft and possession of stolen property and burglary tools also in the mix.
