Alleged Car-Stealer Charged With Stealing Car to Get to Hearing on Car-Stealing Charges

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The California Highway Patrol got a report of a stolen car on November 3 and were able to track it down quickly because it was equipped with LoJack.  They found it parked near a courthouse in Vallejo, about a 30-minute drive north of Oakland, and arrested the driver when he returned to the car.  He turned out to be Samuel Botchvaroff, a 24-year-old Oakland man who had been at the courthouse for an arraignment.  Specifically, his arraignment, on charges of auto theft.

Police said that Botchvaroff's own car had been impounded after a prior arrest (for something other than car theft that time), so he apparently stole another one to make sure he didn't miss his arraignment in Vallejo.  He didn't, but now he's got another arraignment to worry about.

For future reference, you can take BART from Oakland north to El Cerrito and then catch the 80 bus from there to Vallejo. Get off at York and Marin, and then go east on Georgia to the courthouse.  You will have to catch the 8 a.m. BART train to make a 9 a.m. arraignment, and it's a pretty long walk down Georgia Street.  That's a real pain in the ass, but at least it's legal.

Link: Vacaville (CA) Reporter
Link: Vallejo Transit