A Soldotna man has been charged with stealing another man’s car, according to a complaint filed at the Kenai Courthouse on Sunday.
Patrick A. Rascon, 27, allegedly stole a man’s GMC Sierra and damaged the interior in the process, according to the complaint. The owner of the vehicle called Soldotna Police on Feb. 24 to report that he had identified his stolen vehicle in the Safeway parking lot. The vehicle owner confronted the man driving the stolen vehicle, and the driver drove away as a result.
The owner of the vehicle followed the alleged car thief while remaining on the phone with police. When police arrived on scene, the vehicle owner said that he had seen someone exit the vehicle and run away. Upon inspecting the stolen vehicle, police reported that the steering column had been taken apart and the ignition was badly damaged. The vehicle was running although no key was in the ignition. There was also a notebook in the vehicle that mentioned Rascon’s name, according to the complaint.
An officer identified Rascon walking away from the scene and confronted him. Rascon was allegedly out of breath and stated that he was headed to Safeway, although Safeway was located in the opposite direction that Rascon was heading. Rascon eventually told police that he had been in the stolen vehicle but was not driving and did not know it was stolen, police reported.
The cost to repair the damage to the vehicle was estimated to be $900.
Rascon faces one count of first-degree vehicle theft, a class C felony, and one count of third-degree criminal mischief, a class C felony.
