Vehicle theft suspect falls through ceiling, arrested by Modesto police

A man suspected of stealing a vehicle ran from police Saturday night and hid inside a north Modesto home for about five hours, before he apparently fell through a ceiling and was apprehended by officers.

Larry James Houser, 24, was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools and violating probation. On Sunday, Houser was being held at the Stanislaus County Jail.

Modesto police Sgt. Manuel Corona said Houser might have suffered some injuries when he fell down from the ceiling. He said Houser had been hiding in what appeared to be an attic in the home in the 1900 block of Oostburg Court, just east of Prescott Road and several blocks north of Standiford Avenue.

Nobody was inside the home when Houser broke in. Corona said a patrol officer spotted Houser in the stolen vehicle and tried to stop him. He said Houser ran from the vehicle into the residential neighborhood.

Authorities were called to the neighborhood about 7:30 p.m. to search for the suspect. Modesto police surrounded the area to make sure the suspect didn’t escape. Corona said the department’s Special Weapons And Tactics team also was called, but Houser was found about midnight before the SWAT team could assist with the capture.

There were no other reported injuries.

This story was originally published June 18, 2017 at 12:05 PM with the headline "Vehicle theft suspect falls through ceiling, arrested by Modesto police."