SLO man arrested for alleged vehicle theft | San Luis Obispo Tribune

A 19-year-old San Luis Obispo man was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of stealing a pickup truck.

Shortly before 9 p.m., San Luis Obispo resident Keith Karpenske called 911 to say his 2004 GMC truck had just been taken from in front of his residence in the 800 block of Nipomo Street, police said.

Within a minute of broadcasting the information to patrol units, an officer spotted the vehicle traveling in the opposite direction in the 800 block of Mill Street, police said. The driver turned onto Morro Street and got out of the vehicle with the engine still running.

The man was seen running into an apartment complex behind the Palm Street parking structure, police said.

Cal Poly police helped set up a perimeter and a search eventually found Ronald Silva. He was arrested for alleged auto theft and was found to have an out-of-county warrant for vehicle theft.

The pickup was returned undamaged to Karpenske.

-Larissa Doust