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On Wednesday, January 3rd, San Leandro police officers arrested a 62 yr old male transient out of Oakland for stealing license plates off of parked vehicles.  Officers responded to the 500 block of Begier Avenue around 6 p.m. after a witness called police regarding the theft.
 
Officers arrived in the area and located the suspect, Ronnie Cotton, riding his bike away from the area. After being contacted by the police, the suspect removed two stolen license plates hidden inside of his pants and discarded them into some nearby bushes.
 
After Cotton was arrested, both stolen license plates were recovered and returned to their owners. "License plates are stolen randomly for various reasons," said police Lieutenant Isaac Benabou. "These are misdemeanor crimes unless the value of the plates rises above $950."

Most thefts typically occur during the night and may not immediately be known to the vehicle's owner. The impact can be very time-consuming to the victim, having to make appointments or wait in long lines at the DMV to obtain a replacement. "Take precaution by securing your license plate with theft-resistant bolts and scoring the registration tabs with a razor to prevent them from being peeled away by thieves." As always, report all license plate thefts to the police immediately.