Car Thief Shows Auto-ism, Suspected of Stealing Mostly Ford Rangers

A San Diego man was arrested Thursday, suspected in a series of vehicle burglaries in La Mesa and around the county.

Detective Sean Snow of the LMPD arrested Nickolas Aledam, 29, for a series of vehicle burglaries mainly targeted at Ford Rangers. Aledam was taken into custody at the courthouse, when he showed up for an unrelated court appearance.

According to police, Aledam is responsible for more than 18 vehicle burglaries in La Mesa and numerous others in the San Diego County area.

A search warrant was obtained for Aledam’s residence based on information obtained during his arrest. The search warrant resulted in LMPD detectives finding evidence linking Aledam to additional cases in La Mesa. That evidence consisted of stolen stereos, amplifiers, speakers, GPS devices, iPods, iPhones, watches, an expandable baton, and a Taser.

During the service of the search warrant, Aledam’s girlfriend, Destanie Trout, 28, was contacted and arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

Aledam was booked into San Diego County Central Jail and Trout was booked into the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility. Aledam is being charged with felony burglary. He is being held on $50,000 bond, and is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, March 29.

If you have any information on this case or believe that you may have been a victim, please call Detective Sean Snow of the La Mesa Police Department at 619-667-7537.