Arrest made in string of Carson City vehicle thefts; authorities investigate connection to stolen Toyota trucks

An unemployed Carson City man and a Gardnerville woman face multiple felony charges after they admitted to a string of stolen vehicle thefts and burglaries over the past few days.

Paul Allen Jennings, 39, of Carson City, and Shadine Ford, 24, of Gardnerville, face several felony charges after authorities found the pair hiding in the bushes after admitting they broke into a Carson City home. The pair also told authorities they had been involved in several vehicle burglary and break-ins over the past few days because, they said, they needed the money.

Deputies are now looking into whether the recent thefts and the arrest of the suspects are connected to a larger vehicle theft operation. Since February of this year, nine Toyota trucks have been reported stolen in Carson City, authorities said.

"We are looking to see if there is any connection to all of the stolen vehicles we've had recently," said Undersheriff Steve Albertson. "We are doing more followup and interviewing more people."

Sheriff's deputies were dispatched early Tuesday morning to a Hillside Way home after a neighbor stated he saw two people drive up to the home, park and then go into the backyard. Several deputies responded and established a perimeter around the home. Meanwhile a deputy began a search of the area of nearby Miller Lane.

The deputy found the pair hiding in juniper bushes in the front yard of Miller Lane. The couple was detained and placed into a patrol vehicle. Jennings admitted to being inside the Hillside home with Ford, according to the arrest report.

Meanwhile, as a detailed search of the garage and home that was broken into was in progress, a deputy ran the plates of a vehicle parked inside the garage and learned that it was reported stolen on Monday.

The couple were taken to the Carson City Sheriff's Office Detective Division and interviewed about their involvement in the vehicle theft and burglary. Ford admitted to her involvement in the vehicle theft of the truck found inside the garage. She told deputies that she drove Jennings to the 100 block of Rice Street and watched as he stole the truck and then followed him to the Hillside Way address and watched as Jennings parked the truck inside the garage, according to the arrest report.

Ford said she then took Jennings back to his home on East Proctor Street where he took an air compressor he stole from the truck. Ford told deputies that she then took him back to the home at Hillside Way and went inside the home with him and then into the garage where Jennings took items out of the truck with a backpack of tools he brought with him.

Ford stated that as Jennings was removing items from the truck, she saw multiple sheriff's units approach the home without lights, and that the couple began to run from the back of the house, southbound through the yards on Hillside and Miller Lane, according to the arrest report.

Jennings admitted to stealing the truck found in the garage as well as another vehicle, a white 1991 Toyota 4-Runner, according to the arrest report. This vehicle was confirmed stolen from the same person that owned the first stolen truck. Jennings told deputies that he later returned with the keys to the victim's home to steal it. Jennings also admitted that a backpack with tools located in the Hillside garage belonged to him and he brought them to steal the parts from the Ford truck.

Later Tuesday morning at about 1:30 a.m. deputies were called out to assist patrol with a grand theft auto investigation. Since February, nine Toyota trucks have been stolen. Patrol deputies had arrested Jennings and Ford for burglary and grand theft auto. Jennings had stolen a Ford truck from the same registered owner of a White Toyota 4 Runner that was stolen on April 21.

Deputies read Jennings his Miranda Rights which he waived in order to speak with the arresting deputy. Jennings said he got the keys to the stolen Ford from a Toyota truck he stole last week, according to the arrest report.

He told the deputy that he stole the Toyota truck from a Rice Street home and parked it in a driveway at an empty home near the Sheriff's Office. A sheriff's sergeant responded to the area and located the stolen Toyota. Jennings told an officer that he had stripped the Toyota and took the stereo and speakers from it and sold the equipment. He told the deputy that he stole the Toyota truck because he saw the keys in the truck, according to the arrest report.

Meanwhile early this morning, the arresting officers were contacted by a detective and given additional information in regards to the arrests of the pair. The detective informed officers that the couple wished to speak with the arresting officer about additional vehicle burglaries.

In an interview with Ford this morning, she admitted that she and Jennings had committed additional vehicle burglaries on April 27. She said that she drove Jennings in her silver 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt to the parking lot of Able Bodies Gym, located at 55 east Winnie Lane. Prior to arriving at the location, Jennings spoke with Ford about breaking into vehicles because he needed money. When the couple arrived, they watched a female subject exit her Ford Explorer and go inside the gym.

Ford Stated that Jennings noticed the woman didn't take her purse inside. Jennings removed a soldering tool from a blue backpack and told Ford to drive up near the Ford Explorer. Ford stated she acted as a "lookout" as Jennings broke the front passenger window of the vehicle and removed the purse. Jennings then got back into the vehicle and Ford drove him away, according to the arrest report. Ford stated the purse should still be in her vehicle. The purse had been reported stolen by the victim and was subsequently recovered during the investigation.

The suspect, Ford, then drove Jennings to his home at about 7:30 p.m. Jennings asked Ford to drive him to the area of Long and Division. Upon arrival, Ford parked the car and again acted as a lookout as Jennings punched out the window and burglarized another vehicle, a 1984 Dodge Ram van, located in the 1600 block of North Division, according to the arrest report.
Stolen from the vehicle was a DeWalt took kit and a Skill saw. The items were recovered after deputies searched the impounded vehicle belonging to Ford.

Jennings faces two counts felony auto grand larceny, auto burglary and burglary. His bail has been set at $100,000. Ford faces felony grand larceny, three counts auto burglary, possession of stolen property and drug paraphernalia. Her bail has been set at $126,132.