Sheriff Dept press release re:Valley Springs Man Arrested for Commercial Burglary

(Valley Springs, CA) On 03/29/12 at approx. 8:15 PM, Calaveras County Sheriff’s deputies, while patrolling the parking lot of MarVal Food Store in Valley Springs, were contacted by MarVal’s store manager, Mitchell Rerutko. Mr. Rerutko reported that he had a shoplifter detained inside the store. Upon investigating the incident, the deputies learned that the suspect, Erich Conrad Hotvedt (22) of Valley Springs, stuffed several “beanie” style watch caps and gloves inside his pants and attempted to leave the store, at which time store employees detained him.

Mr. Hotvedt did not have a wallet or any means to pay for the items at the time of the attempted theft. Mr. Hotvedt was searched at the scene. In his pants the deputies located the stolen items and a methamphetamine smoking pipe. He was arrested and transported to the Calaveras County Jail. While en route to the jail Mr. Hotvedt vandalized the rear seat area of the patrol car by breaking a plastic divider away from the security partition. The total dollar amount of the stolen items was said to be $10.70. Mr. Hotvedt was booked into the CCSO jail on the charges of Burglary (felony), Vandalism (misdemeanor), and possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor). Mr. Hotvedt commented to the deputies at the time of his arrest that it was his girlfriend’s birthday and he was just trying to get her a gift.