Sonora, CA – Two Sonora men vandalized a local laundromat, damaging a vending machine and stealing its contents, and cameras caught it all.
Sonora Police Department dispatch received a report on Thursday, March 19, 2026, just after 8 a.m., of damage to a vending machine and stolen items at the Downtown Plaza Laundromat off Stockton Street in Sonora, which brought officers to the scene. While investigating, they determined someone had pried open the vending machine and stolen the merchandise inside, valued at just over $1,300. The officers also recognized the culprits from the surveillance video as 33-year-old Nicholas Varvel and 40-year-old William Vannortwick.
The next day, Friday (3/20/26), Vannortwick was taken into custody at a Sonora residence. According to the SPD, during his arrest, he tried to escape, but no details on how were disclosed. On Sunday, March 22, 2026, just before 1 a.m., officers saw Varvel at the Jamestown Chevron and took him into custody without incident. Police reported that a pat-down of him uncovered a sheathed knife and a concealed dagger.
Varvel was arrested for felony burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime, and misdemeanor concealment of a dirk or dagger. Vannortwick faces several felony charges related to the burglary and attempted escape.
