On Saturday around 2:15 a.m. officers from the Ridgecrest Police Department were notified of a suspicious subject that had been seen near N. Helena St. and Argus Ave.
The reporting party had seen the subject running away from a parked vehicle in the area after the alarm had been activated.
RPD officers circulated in the area and found more vehicles with open doors that appeared to have been entered by the suspect. A second reporting party called RPD to report seeing a suspicious person looking into a vehicle near N. Florence St. and W. Jean Ave.
The reporting party was able to provide a description of the suspect and officers responded. While searching the area on foot the officers heard the sounds of someone running and investigated further.
They were able to see a subject later identified as Joshua Masner. Masner’s appearance and clothing matched that of the suspect description and he was given verbal commands to stop. Masner fled on foot and into the backyards of nearby residential homes.
Officers gave chase but lost sight of Masner and began a yard to yard search of the area. Masner was located and attempted to flee again but officers were able to contain him and take Masner into custody.
A reporting party was able to identify Masner as the person he had seen prowling in the area and physical evidence was located linking Masner to the vehicles the reporting party saw him tampering with.
Masner is on active California State Parole and a hold was placed. He was transported to the Kern County Central Receiving Facility in Bakersfield. He was booked for tampering with a vehicle, disorderly conduct prowling and resisting arrest. He was also arrested for violating parole. He is currently being held without bail. He is expected to be in court for the latest charges on Tuesday.
