A man was taken into custody twice within 12 hours over the weekend on separate theft charges, with the second arrest occurring within 30 minutes of the man being released from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

On Saturday night, deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to Railroad Avenue in Newhall, where they arrested 26-year-old Los Angeles resident Ryan Curiel on a felony charge of auto theft, as well as a charge for possession of burglary tools.

“Deputies learned the suspect had been convicted numerous times for auto theft,” wrote Shirley Miller, spokesperson for the station, in an official post Monday.

Curiel was taken to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station for booking, but was later released early Sunday morning on a citation “in accordance with the statewide emergency bail schedule issued by courts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in jails.”

“Approximately 30 minutes after being released, the 26-year-old was rearrested on Creekside Road for felony grand theft after he was allegedly entering cars and taking items,” Miller wrote.

After Curiel was arrested for the second time, deputies recovered a cell phone and a cell phone charger that had allegedly been stolen from a vehicle, Miller added.

Curiel was transported back to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, where he was booked on felony charges of grand theft. Weekend arrest records indicate that his bail was then set at $20,000.

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The incident from over the weekend came as theft-related crimes have reportedly been on the rise as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the Santa Clarita Valley.

“Along with the pandemic, criminal activity has increased, specifically theft-related crimes,” Miller wrote. “Deputies are working hard to round up thieves and hold them accountable, and it is a non-stop job.”

Miller advised residents to “take all precautions to safeguard your property.”

“Remove all items from (your) vehicle when you get home at night, lock doors and turn on your porch light,” she wrote. “If the budget allows, camera security systems can be useful for monitoring activity.”

Miller also urged residents to watch out for their neighbors, as many theft crimes are reportedly happening when people are sleeping.

“If you work at a job with non-traditional hours and you are driving down streets, take notice of any suspicious activity, which can include seeing people walking down residential streets at 2 or 3 a.m., checking door handles or cars lingering in the area in the middle of the night,” she wrote. 

Any residents who believe that they have witnessed suspicious activity are encouraged to call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 255-1121 and request a patrol check. 

“With your help, we can continue to keep our community well-protected,” Miller concluded.

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