WARSAW — A man was arrested after officers discovered him driving a vehicle that was reported stolen from the Warsaw Library parking lot. Inside the vehicle, officers located belongings from two other individuals who had parked their vehicles in the same area.

Anthony Jacob Muniz

Anthony Jacob Muniz, 23, 1009 N. Randolph St., Garrett, was arrested for auto theft, a level 4 felony; two counts of theft, class C misdemeanors; resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor; and two theft sentence enhancements for being previously convicted of theft.

On Jan. 13 officers with the Warsaw Police Department received a call about a stolen vehicle. The owner advised that she had parked her black Chevrolet Suburban in the Warsaw Public Library parking lot and when she returned her vehicle was missing. Dispatch put out an attempt to locate the vehicle.

Officers observed the vehicle driving on North Lake Street in Warsaw. A Winona Lake police officer activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver pulled the vehicle over to the right side of the road, exited the vehicle and fled from the scene.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, a canine unit was used to locate the fleeing subject. Officers identified the subject as Muniz and located a knife on his person. Inside the vehicle, officers found a Kindle Fire.

While waiting for the owner of the vehicle, dispatch received a call about a vehicle being broken into in the same area the Suburban was stolen. The caller advised that a Kindle Fire and knife were stolen. The caller provided the password for the Kindle Fire and identified the knife that was found on Muniz as his own.

Dispatch then received another call reporting stolen items from a different vehicle. The caller advised that his truck was parked in the same parking lot and a Visa gift card was now missing from the vehicle. Officers searched Muniz and located the stolen gift card.

Muniz was previously convicted of theft on Sept. 18, 2013 in DeKalb County.

He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Jan. 14 with a $10,250 surety and cash bond.