On January 20, 2026, at 0415 hours, St. Paul police officers responded to 259 Sherburne, St. Paul, Ramsey County, on a report of a stolen vehicle. AHA, [DOB REDACTED], reported that he had left his vehicle running while he went into his home to use the bathroom. He took his key fob with him. When he came out the vehicle was gone. He did not give anyone permission to take it. He used a tracking device in the vehicle and located it near 259 Sherburne. Officers saw the vehicle, a Subaru, MN LIC SEK023, stopped facing westbound on Western and Stinson.
Officers activated emergency lights and pulled in front of the vehicle to prevent it from fleeing. The driver, later identified as Luis Jaime Ayala Garcia, [DOB REDACTED], placed the car in reverse and began backing away. He ended up stuck in a pile of snow. Officers arrested him. Garcia declined a custodial interview indicating that he wished to speak to a lawyer. The female passenger in the vehicle told police that she thought the car belonged to Garcia’s friend. Garcia had a warrant for his arrest out of Hennepin County for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Garcia has two prior convictions for Theft of a Motor Vehicle in 2025 and 2023.
