Police: Salinas man chased down and detained by man he tried to steal shoes from
Photos: Salinas Police Department
A Salinas man is in custody after allegedly trying to steal two pairs of Air Jordans he’d agreed to purchase via Instagram.
Police say that on the morning of Thursday, January 21, the victim met with 20-year-old Leonardo Sotelo on the 600 block of Arcadia Way to complete the sale of two pairs of Nike Air Jordan sneakers.
The victim handed over the shoes and Sotelo, who’d agreed to pay several hundred dollars for them, told him he was going to his car to get the money. Instead, police say, Sotelo jumped into his car and tried to flee with the shoes.
At that point, the victim reportedly reached into the car to take the shoes back while Sotelo was trying to maneuver the vehicle, with Sotelo striking four parked cars and the victim in the process. The victim, who sustained a minor injury, managed to get the shoes back, police said.
When Sotelo fled, the victim and his friends jumped into their car and chased him down, ultimately cornering him on the 1800 block of Pescadero Drive. There they detained him until police arrived to take him into custody.
Sotelo is now in custody at the Monterey County Jail on suspicion of robbery and hit-and-run.
