A thief who struck a Folsom supermarket led officers on a chase into Rancho Cordova Sunday afternoon, where he was eventually apprehended and remained in Sacramento County Jail on multiple felony charges Monday afternoon.
According to the Folsom Police Department’s account of the incident, officers were notified by Folsom Police Dispatchers at approximately 3:00 p.m. Sunday that they had received a call reporting a large scale theft of merchandise from the Safeway store located in the Prairie City Crossings retail center on Prairie City Road in Folsom. The caller reported that they observed suspect load a cart full of numerous items, then watched as they exited the store without paying for them.
The caller estimated the value of the stolen merchandise to be in excess of $1000. The reporting party was able to provide a detailed description of the vehicle, which was described as a black Toyota sedan which sped off in the direction of Highway 50 from the parking lot of the store. The caller was also able to provide the license plate of the vehicle to dispatchers.
As units responded to the scene, a Folsom Police officer travelled to westbound Highway 50 where they spotted the vehicle with the matching license plate and suspect description behind the wheel. According the department’s report, the vehicle was travelling at high rate of speed and was weaving in and out of traffic on the highway.
Officers pursued the vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop, in which the suspect failed to pull over. As the pursuit continued into Rancho Cordova, the suspects vehicle exited the highway at Zinfandel Drive and then continued to drive dangerously onto Olson Drive. The vehicle eventually turned into a parking lot on the 11000 Block of Olson Drive where they stopped, as the officers pulled behind the suspect’s car to block them in the parking area, the supect then following commands and yielded to the officer.
Eric Kephart, 30, of Elk Grove was arrested for grand theft and evading a police officer and booked at Sacramento County Jail. All of items were located and returned to Safeway, which included a variety of groery items from food, snacks to multiple bottles of detergent and toiletries. The estimated value of the items was over $1280.
Sacramento County Jail records show Kephart remained in custody as of Monday afternoon. He is facing felony grand theft, felony evasion charges and a misdemeanor evasion charge. He is currently being held on $50,000 bail.
Kephart has a criminal past which reportedly include a Driving Under the Influence arrest in Placer County in September of 2023 as well a firearms charge in 2015
