Man arrested for cell phone thefts

CHICO, Calif. — Chico Police arrested a man Tuesday, after he was seen stealing cell phones.

On May 29th, 2018 at 1:46 pm, Chico Police responded to the area of 692 Mangrove Avenue (AT&T Store) after a report of an employee chasing a subject on foot.

As officers responded, the suspect, later identified as 26-year-old Sacramento resident, Steven McFarland was seen stealing thousands of dollars in cellphones, from the business.

When an employee tried to detain McFarland, he got away on foot, toward Mangrove Avenue, through the Chico Cemetery.

Officers continued following McFarland through the cemetery and onto Chico Junior High School grounds, causing a brief, 5-minute lockdown of the school.

McFarland was then seen jumping fences, in the area of Oleander Avenue and East Frances Willard. Officers set-up a perimeter and McFarland was next seen exiting the backyard of a home, in the area of East Lincoln Avenue and Oleander Avenue. He was taken into custody and the stolen property was returned to the business.

McFarland was booked into the Butte County Jail, for commercial burglary, possession of stolen property, conspiracy, having burglary tools and resisting arrest.