Plumas County man accused of stealing woman’s car after threatening her with hammer, locking her in bathroom
A Plumas County man has been arrested for allegedly stealing an elderly woman’s car after threatening her with a hammer, among other suspected crimes, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
On the morning of May 17, deputies responded to a home on Alter Street in Quincy. The homeowner, an elderly woman, told them a man had entered her home and demanded her car keys while holding a hammer. After she gave him the keys, he allegedly locked her in the bathroom and fled with her car, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A short time later, the Sheriff’s Office learned that a vehicle matching the description of the stolen one — a blue Subaru station wagon — had been seen on a property on Alder Court. The property owner told the Sheriff’s Office that the driver had tried to drive across her footbridge and, when confronted, fled the scene and collided with a gate. Deputies reportedly later found the vehicle abandoned on Oak Street.
Deputies responded to that area and began searching, ultimately located a man matching the suspect description hiding in the bushes near Quincy Elementary, which was then promptly locked down for a Code Red notification. The suspect fled again on foot.
Dispatch then received word that a resident had called to report an unknown man in her backyard. A deputy responded to the residence and reportedly found the suspect, identified as 26-year-old James Swangler, hiding in a shed.
Swangler was arrested after a short physical confrontation and booked on suspicion of robbery, false imprisonment, vehicle theft, and assault on a peace officer causing injury. He is also suspected in an alleged traffic collision and possession of a stolen vehicle case from the previous day, the Sheriff’s Office said.
