Soulsbyville School Alleged Thief/Trespasser Arrested

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Soulsbyville, CA — A man was arrested for allegedly stealing items from the Soulsbyville Elementary School campus, after hours.

Spotted on surveillance video, were things stolen like sweatshirts, backpacks, and a Chromebook. The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating reports of a trespasser driving a white pickup truck onto campus after hours and taking the items.

Recently, the truck was again spotted on campus, when students were not there, and sheriff’s officials responded to investigate. The truck was located, but the suspect was nowhere to be found. Officials used a drone to search the grounds. Eventually, the truck was towed away. Investigators learned that it belonged to 47-year-old Darrick Ryan Flaming, who had an out-of-county warrant for his arrest.

Later that same day, a deputy spotted Flaming riding a bicycle along Soulsbyville Road, near the school.

The sheriff’s office reports, “During questioning, Flaming admitted to stealing sweatshirts and backpacks from the campus. Deputies searched Flaming’s vehicle and found items described in previous theft cases, including clothing Flaming had been observed wearing in surveillance footage. Further investigation led deputies to obtain a search warrant for Flaming’s storage unit, where multiple items connected to the Soulsbyville Elementary School thefts, as well as previously reported burglaries at SecureCare Self Storage, were recovered.”

Flaming was booked into Tuolumne County Jail. An investigation into the incidents is ongoing.