SALEM — Following a public service announcement on Jan. 3 about the rise in thefts of certain car brands, Salem Police have successfully recovered a stolen vehicle and apprehended three suspects after a brief foot pursuit.
At approximately 1:07 a.m. on Jan. 25, dispatchers at the Salem Police Department were alerted to a 2016 Hyundai Sonata reported stolen and seen operating within city limits.
Patrol units were dispatched with instructions to look out for the vehicle.
The car was subsequently located and pulled over at the intersection of Bridge Street and Skerry Street.
Upon initiating the vehicle stop, the driver and two passengers fled the scene on foot.
All three individuals were quickly caught by the officers involved.
Sannell Edtimee Castro, 20, and Wilbert Vidal-Campusano, 21, both from Lynn, face charges of Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle.
Vidal-Campusano is also charged with Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest.
The juvenile driver, whose name has not been released, has been charged with Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Disorderly Conduct, and Resisting Arrest.
The arrests come in the wake of the Salem Police’s efforts to inform the public about an uptick in thefts affecting Kia and Hyundai vehicles due to vulnerabilities in their ignition systems.
The successful recovery of the stolen Sonata and the swift apprehension of the suspects highlight the department’s ongoing vigilance in combating vehicle theft.
