Glenn County Sheriff Detectives made another arrest in the the Sheriff's Office ongoing battle against auto theft. Arrested was an documented gang member nicknamed, "Shrek."

According to a sheriff's spokesperson, Sheriff’s Major Crimes Detectives Kelly Knight and Greg Felton had been called out Tuesday to investigate a report of a crime.

While investigating that crime, the detectives observed a Honda sedan parked facing south on County Road 99, north of Orland. The parking lamps of the Honda were on. The detectives shined lights on the car.

Aware of a rash of auto thefts, targeting Hondas and Honda products, occurring within Glenn County in the past two weeks, detectives approached the vehicle and recognized the occupant as Emanuel Montalvo Mercado, also known by his gang moniker of "Shrek."

Detectives said Mercado was moving his hands and swiveling his head as if he were looking for someone or trying to find a way to escape. Mercado was ordered to turn the car’s motor off. Mercado fumbled with the ignition but was not able to turn the car off. It was at this point Mercado started to reach under the front driver’s seat of the Honda. Mercado was removed from the car. A search for weapons was conducted of Mercado’s person with none being found. A wanted check on the vehicle’s license number was conducted through the Sheriff’s Emergency Dispatch Center.

The dispatcher quickly informed the detectives the auto was an Orland Police Department stolen. Mercado was taken into custody. As the location was close to Orland, an Orland Police Officer was summoned to the scene to recover the stolen Honda.

Mercado is alleged to have admitted to the Glenn County Detectives that he did in fact take the Honda from the area of the Shasta Garden apartments in Orland.

Mercado was transported and booked into the Glenn County Jail in Willows for investigation of auto theft and committing a felony while being released from custody on $20,000 bail. Montalvo had been taken into custody on Feb. 15 during a felony traffic stop on Inter-State Five north of County Road 27 and booked into the Glenn County Jail for investigation of auto theft. Mercado posted bond then and was given an appearance date of March 14, 2012 in Glenn County Superior Court.

Sheriff Larry Jones commended the work of his detectives in the apprehension of the alleged auto thief and the recovery of another stolen auto. This is the second stolen auto that Detective Felton has recovered within a week.