4:30 PM Update: The suspect has been identified as Yolanda Benson, 29, of Culver City, Calif. She was on Los Angeles County probation for vehicle theft and had a No Bail felony warrant for Violation of Probation which was added to her charges.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A search for a suspect in a car theft prompted a short lockdown at South Tahoe Middle School (STMS) Friday morning as officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) looked for the female driver.
At approximately 9:28 a.m. SLTPD was notified that a vehicle had just been stolen from the 2800 block of Lodi Ave. Officers began searching for the vehicle and a plainclothes detective located the vehicle in the STMS parking lot within 20 minutes.
SLTPD immediately had the school placed on lockdown as a precaution since the vehicle was unoccupied when discovered. Officers searched the campus to ensure the suspect was not on school grounds. It was quickly determined that the suspect had fled from the vehicle and left the campus, and the school lifted the lockdown approximately 10 minutes later.
A short time later SLTPD officers located a suspect matching the description obtained from video surveillance nearby. According to SLTPD, the suspect was uncooperative and under the influence of controlled substances.
After completing an investigation SLTPD officers arrested the female suspect, who was booked into the El Dorado County Jail for 10851 PC (Theft of a Motor Vehicle) and 148 PC (Delay, Resist, Obstruct an Officer). The vehicle was returned to the owner after being processed for evidence.
At this time the female suspect has not been positively identified as she provided several different names and dates of birth to officers. If anyone knows the identity of the female pictured below, please contact the South Lake Tahoe Police Department at 530-542-6100. She is currently on the arrest log as “Jane Doe.”
