Kevin Marquez is shown in a photo provided by MCSO. Photos courtesy Madera County Sheriff’s Office
It started with a stolen side-by-side and a CHP pursuit and ended with a man in custody after initially evading law enforcement.
On Sunday, July 12, a UTV, also known as a side-by-side, was reported stolen from the Road 416 area, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
Following a brief pursuit by California Highway Patrol (CHP) Oakhurst Area officers, MCSO said the suspect abandoned the reportedly stolen vehicle near Highway 41 and Celechovsky Court in Coarsegold before fleeing on foot into the brush.
A short time later, officials said, the suspect’s image was captured by a Ring camera on Serpa Canyon in Coarsegold and the suspect was tampering with a residential water pump.
When CHP officers arrived the suspect fled into the brush once again.
CHP Air Operations H-42 searched the area, authorities said, but the suspect was not located due to dense vegetation and rugged terrain.
He was soon identified as Kevin Marquez.
Later that afternoon, Marquez was escorted off the property at Camp Oakhurst in Coarsegold and was believed to be in the vicinity of Road 420.
Since fleeing law enforcement, he was thought to have trespassed on private property and committed grand theft in the area.
MCSO asked for the public’s help in locating the suspect, wanted by CHP for vehicle theft, trespassing and grand theft. Images of the subject were published by the sheriff’s office; he was initially described as an adult male 55 to 65 years old with distinctive facial tattoos.
Early on the morning of July 14, MCSO deputies were dispatched to a suspicious person call in the area. Deputies responded and saturated the area after positively identifying the man as the suspect sought the previous day.
Deputies, assisted by K9 Obie, located Kevin Marquez hiding behind a brush pile. Officials said Marquez was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Madera County Jail.
Jail records show Marquez, 45, remained in custody on charges including grand theft and trespassing at press time. He was further described as being 6 feet tall and weighing 195 pounds.
MCSO expressed appreciation for the community assistance in identifying and locating Marquez.
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