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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Two people were arrested in Salt Lake City early Sunday morning, accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of holiday gifts from parked cars.
Gabriel Esquibel, 46, was arrested on charges of felony theft, vehicle burglary, unlawful drug possession, unlawful possession of burglary tools, unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon, and improper placement of a license plate.
Robert Snell, 42, was arrested on charges of felony theft, vehicle burglary, unlawful drug possession, unlawful possession of burglary tools, and criminal trespass.
Shortly before 4 a.m. on Dec. 22, police received a call regarding two people wearing hoodies and looking into cars near 2700 South Elizabeth Street. SLCPD officers responded to the scene and heard a car alarm going off.
The officers then saw a car leaving the area and conducted a traffic stop. Upon pulling over Esquibel and Snell, officers could see “suspected stolen items, including shopping bags with receipts that didn’t match the name of either suspect,” a press release from SLCPD states.
During the stop, officers reportedly also found a bike that had been reported as stolen. Based on this information, police believe the pair may be responsible for other incidents of theft “not yet reported,” the release states.
Police are reminding the community to remove all valuables from your vehicle, and that items left in plain sight, no matter how small, make your car a target.
“SLCPD wants to thank the community members who called 9-1-1 so quickly to report this incident. Officers learned that one of the community members received an alert from a home security system about an exterior camera detecting motion,” the release states. “The community member then looked at the camera and saw the two suspects and called 9-1-1.”
Esquibel and Snell were booked into Salt Lake County Jail on the aforementioned charges. The recovered stolen property is valued between $2,000 and $3,000.
Anyone who believes they have been a victim of theft should call SLCPD at 801-799-3000.