Juvenile Suspect Reportedly Crashes Stolen Vehicle, Resulting in Death of Vehicle’s Owner
Photo: Stock Image
MAGALIA, CA — Butte County authorities have arrested a juvenile for allegedly stealing a vehicle and crashing it with the victim riding in the back, resulting in the victim’s death.
According to a press release by the Butte County sheriff’s office, the dispatch center was contacted at around 2 a.m. Monday, Dec. 9, by a man who said his truck had been stolen from the area of Crescent Drive.
The caller, identified as 50-year-old Robert Etta of Magalia, reportedly told dispatch he was riding in the back of the truck and called for assistance from deputies.
The dispatcher stayed on with Etta while deputies and California Highway Patrol officers responded. While officers were enroute, the dispatcher reportedly heard the sound of a collision. Responding deputies and officers located the stolen vehicle, now crashed, on Carnegie Road.
The stolen truck caught fire after the collision. CAL FIRE responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.
Despite life-saving efforts by responders, Robert Etta was pronounced deceased at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators believe that Etta had caught the juvenile suspect stealing his truck and had jumped in the back in an attempt to prevent the theft.
The juvenile suspect was also injured and taken to an area hospital for treatment, the sheriff’s office said.
After being released, the juvenile suspect was booked at the Butte County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of manslaughter.
