Deputies nab suspected vehicle burglar

A Yuma man may face burglary charges following his arrest over the weekend on unrelated charges, the Yuma County Sheriff's Office said.

Eric Soto, 24, was arrested Saturday by sheriff deputies following a lengthy foot pursuit near Somerton, the sheriff's office said.

Soto was found in possession of tools that could be used in a burglary, and he admitted to deputies to have committed prior vehicle burglaries, the sheriff's office said.

Soto has been booked into the Yuma County jail on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear in court, but sheriff's spokesman Capt. Eben Bratcher said deputies may also seek charges of vehicle burglary and possession of burglary tools against him.

Soto's arrest came after a sheriff's deputy saw a man riding a bicycle in the vicinity of Avenue B and County 18th Street at 3 a.m., the sheriff's office said.

The deputy recognized him as Soto, for whom an arrest warrant had been issued, Bratcher said.

"There are individuals we know and deal with on a regular basis. The deputy who spotted him knew there was a warrant for his arrest," Bratcher said. "The warrant was for possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear."

Rather than stop when the deputy tried to arrest him, Soto fled, leading the deputy on a foot chase for nearly a mile, Bratcher said.

"Soto knew he had been made and took off," Bratcher said.

The deputy was able to catch and arrest Soto, at which time he was found to be in possession of wire cutters and a flash light, Bratcher said.

A search of the area also yielded a glove and a screw driver Soto admitted were his, Bratcher said.

Bratcher said Soto told the deputy he was planning on burglarizing some vehicles to support his addiction to methamphetamine, Bratcher said, and admitted to previous vehicle burglaries.

He said deputies are working right now to link those crimes with Soto's arrest.

---
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.