Borrego Sun - Since 1949

A 30-year-old man was arrested in the Julian area, in connection with a burglary and auto theft Friday July 5.

Mario Cunha, an El Cajon resident, was booked into San Diego Central Jail, after an off-road Baja Bug stolen in Borrego Springs was driven off the road on Pine Hills Road near Highway 78 and became stuck in a ditch, according to a sheriff’s department statement.

The incident occurred in the early morning of July 5 during an investigation of the burglary at the residence of 3300 block of Pine Rills Road.

The sheriff’s deputy at the time noticed a vehicle driving onto the property of the victim. When the deputy approached the driver, he drove away.

Deputies in the area located the vehicle in a ditch on Pine Hills Road.The driver fled on foot in a heavily wooded area, but was located after a search involving a sheriff’s helicopter and a K-9 unit.

Stolen property was found inside the Baja Bug, deputies said.