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Antioch police arrest suspect in beer, truck theft

A 19-year-old Antioch man was arrested after police said he broke into a garage, drank a few beers and stole a vehicle from a residence a few blocks away on Saturday.

Tyler J. Spatafora of the 25100 block of Edgar Avenue in Antioch was arrested Tuesday in connection to the garage break-in and car theft, which occurred on Saturday, police said.

Police responded to a report of the theft of a 1992 Ford Ranger from the Woods of Antioch neighborhood Saturday evening and were later able to recover the vehicle a few days later parked behind an Antioch hotel, said Antioch Police Chief Craig Somerville.

After a report of a garage break-in that night where an offender stole beers and smoked cigarettes in the garage, police said they were able to literally follow a the trail of the same brand of cigarettes and beer. Empty beer cans and cigarette butts were found first in the garage, then at the location of the vehicle theft and finally where the truck was found, Somerville said.

“There was a definite trail of evidence” he said.

After connecting the evidence, police said an informant tipped them off about Spatafora, who admitted to the crime on Tuesday.

He is charged with residential burglary, motor vehicle burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Police said there have been a number of reports of burglaries to various vehicles in the Woods of Antioch area and said they are contacting victims to see if the crimes could be related.

Spatafora has a $20,000 bond.