Sahuarita police arrest two men in string of car larcenies

Sahuarita detectives arrested two Tucson men in connection with multiple car larcenies committed over the past three months in the Rancho Sahuarita area, authorities said Thursday.

William Holloway, 20, was arrested Wednesday on a charge of six counts of theft by control and five counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, said Sahuarita Police spokesperson Officer Sam Almodova.

His suspected accomplice, William Owens, 42, was charged with three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card.

From late June through Aug, 16, between 30 and 40 Rancho Sahuarita residents reported credit cards, purses and other items missing from their unlocked vehicles, and police are still discovering new victims, Almodova said.

The investigation got under way when information obtained earlier this month led police to a house in the 500 block of East Calle Amura in Rancho Sahuarita, where Holloway was renting a room. A search warrant revealed a horde of the reported stolen items, which included credit cards, driver’s licenses, laptop computers, cameras, purses, books, magazines for an automatic gun and binoculars.

Police then began a search for Holloway, who left Sahuarita, and told police Wednesday had been living on the streets.

Last week, security cameras at gas stations and other Tucson business caught both Holloway and Owens on tape using the stolen credit cards, which led to Wednesday’s arrests.

Amaldova said Holloway confessed to committing some of the larcenies.

Police believe the crimes may be drug related after hypodermic needles and syringes were discovered in Owens’ home, in the 9200 block of East Tanque Verde Road, and in Holloway’s room in Sahuarita and at his Tucson residence.

The occupants of the Rancho Sahuarita house, who are renting it and rented out the room to Holloway, are not suspects, Almodova said.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726