A 52-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday for suspicion of two counts vehicle burglary and drug possession following an investigation into thefts earlier this month at the Kings Canyon trailhead parking lot, according to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office.
Amie Edgerly-Valencia was taken into custody at 3:57 p.m. for suspicion of two counts vehicle burglary, possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the booking report, a Carson City Sheriff’s Office detective was assigned to a vehicle burglary investigation into the June 2 theft in which the victim’s purse that contained a wallet, identification, bank cards and glasses had been taken from her unlocked vehicle while she was hiking.
Information learned through the investigation is that the female suspect appeared to be watching hikers in the area and had been circling the trailhead parking area several times, the report states.
A deputy met with the victim and was able to obtain multiple latent fingerprints from outside the vehicle. The fingerprints were submitted to the sheriff’s office crime lab for processing.
The fingerprints on the driver’s door handle returned to the suspect, Amie Edgerly-Valencia. Detectives knew the suspect from prior law enforcement contacts. She was listed as an ex-felon with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office with four prior vehicle burglary convictions, the report states.
Detectives learned where the suspect worked and located the vehicle that was seen prior to the vehicle burglary at the trailhead parking lot.
The suspect met with detectives where she was told they were investigating a vehicle burglary at Kings Canyon trailhead and a purse that had been stolen. The suspect denied knowledge of the burglary. When the suspect was told about her fingerprints on the victim’s vehicle, she stated she had been hiking there daily and must have leaned on the victim’s vehicle, the report states.
During questioning she stated she had taken a skateboard from a truck at Kings Canyon Trailhead. Detectives knew this was a separate vehicle burglary, which was reported on June 5, in which a skateboard valued at $300, cash and a vehicle key fob had been taken from an unlocked truck, according to the report.
The suspect admitted she took the skateboard while someone else got inside the truck and took other items. She stated later that she gave the skateboard to a juvenile near where she lives, the report states.
During continued questioning, she admitted to taking part in the June 2 vehicle burglary. She admitted to opening the door, looking inside the vehicle and acting as a lookout while someone else took items from the vehicle. She was not able to provide a location for the stolen purse, the report states.
Edgerly-Valencia was arrested for suspicion of two counts vehicle burglary for the June 2 and June 5 vehicle burglaries. She was taken to jail, where she was searched. Inside her purse was a small pink bag with a glass methamphetamine pipe and a small clear plastic bag that contained suspected methamphetamine, the report states. Total bail amount listed: $53,632.
The Carson City Sheriff’s Office cautions the public of trailhead vehicle burglaries and urges trail users to take extra steps to protect their belongings:
STOW BEFORE YOU GO — Leave your valuables at home or at least put them in your glove box or trunk before arriving at your destination. Thieves watch for people moving their valuables in the parking lots.
SECURE YOUR VEHICLE — Keep doors locked and windows rolled up all the way. Take ID’s, passports, backpacks, and purses with you. Always lock your vehicle, even if you only step away from it for a moment.
KEEP ITEMS OUT OF SIGHT — Make sure items like luggage, shopping bags, and valuables are hidden. Never leave anything on the seats, dashboard, or floor.
TAKE ELECTRONICS WITH YOU — Keep phones and other electronics with you.
BE ALERT — If you observe suspicious activity or experience criminal activity, contact the sheriff’s office.
— All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.
