The man was arrested in the courthouse parking lot when officers spotted him driving another car that was reported stolen.
This week, a man in California was scheduled to appear in court to face auto theft charges, but he never made it—but not for lack of trying, it seems. According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect in the existing auto theft case was spotted driving into the courthouse parking lot .
.. in another car that had been reported stolen. To quote the 2004 film Dodgeball: “It's a bold strategy, Cotton, let's see if it pays off for 'em.”The incident took place on March 24, according to the sheriff's office, at about 11 a.m. in Salinas, California. Multi-Agency Detail Combating Auto Theft members reportedly observed Ricardo Otero, 41, driving into the Salinas Courthouse parking lot, where he was set to face charges in a pending auto theft case. The problem was that the car Otero was driving to court had been reported stolen out of San Jose, authorities say. Police stopped Otero outside of the courtroom and placed him under arrest. He was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Monterey County Jail. He now faces additional charges of unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, commission of a felony while released on bail / own recognizance, and driving with a suspended license. Whether you see it as ironic, absurd, or just plain avoidable, one thing seems clear: If you’re already in trouble for stealing a car, showing up at court in another one is a very likely way to see things end badly.
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