1 arrested after car stolen from Santa Cruz recovered in Marina

Monterey County officers on Friday recovered a car stolen from Santa Cruz in March and arrested the driver on vehicle theft charges. The incident prompted a lockdown at Waste Management facilities.

Around 10:30 a.m., members of the Marina Police Department and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office spotted a stolen vehicle being driven in Marina.

A traffic stop was conducted as the car exited Highway 1 onto Del Monte Boulevard. The driver of the 2011 Toyota Matrix turned onto Charles Benson Road before yielding to police. The Waste Management landfill in Marina was temporarily locked down while officers conducted a high-risk enforcement stop.

Genaro Ponce, 22, of Santa Cruz was taken into custody and booked into Monterey County Jail on suspicion of auto theft. A woman and three small children who were in the vehicle were released at the scene.

Deputies said the Toyota was stolen in Santa Cruz during a residential burglary in March.