15-year-old’s call leads to arrest of three suspects

Authorities are crediting a 15-year-old good Samaritan’s quick thinking for helping them nab three men they suspect of stealing a car at South Coast Plaza.

According to Costa Mesa police, the teenager outside the Sears at South Coast Plaza saw three men acting suspiciously and called police. It turns out the three men were stealing a GMC Yukon sport utility vehicle, Sgt. Bryan Glass said.

Nelson Rocha, 33, of Los Angeles, broke into the SUV and hot-wired it while Aquileo Vega, 24, and Valentin Flores-Reyes, 18, both from Los Angeles, followed in another car, according to police.

Police arrived to see the three pull out of the shopping complex, Glass said. Officers followed and the men were and arrested on the 405 Freeway near the Culver Drive exit, Glass said. All three were booked on suspicion of grand theft and are in custody at Orange County Jail.

— Joseph Serna