Los Angeles Authorities have arrested a man accused of swiping a piece of the wrecked sports car that "Fast & Furious" star Paul Walker was riding in when he died in a fiery crash Saturday.
The theft occurred at a
stop light as the charred 2005 Porsche Carrera GT was being removed from
the accident scene on a flatbed tow truck late Saturday, according to
the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
"A witness saw a male
exit a vehicle that was following the tow truck," the sheriff's
department said Friday. "The male grabbed a piece of the wrecked Porsche
off the tow truck bed."
Authorities later
arrested 18-year-old Jameson Witty in Tujunga, California. A red T-top
roof panel was recovered from a residence in Canyon Country. Both are in
the Santa Clarita area, where the accident happened.
A second suspect has also been identified and is making arrangements to surrender himself, the sheriff's department said.
Investigators have asked
the district attorney to consider charges of felony grand theft and
tampering with evidence against both men.
The appropriation of Paul Walker
The accident
The crash took place on a
wide street in a business park in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles north
of Hollywood. Walker was attending a holiday toy donation event for his
charity, Reach Out WorldWide, when he hopped into the car, witnesses
said.
The Porsche, which was
one of only a few hundred made, was on display at the event, which was
held at a high-performance car shop owned by Roger Rodas, who was
driving the car.
Minutes after the two men drove away, people at the event heard the crash about 500 yards away, witnesses said.
5 things to know about Roger Rodas
Autopsy results
A one-page preliminary autopsy report
released by the Los Angeles County coroner's office Wednesday listed
the cause of the actor's death as the "combined effects of traumatic and
thermal injuries."
An autopsy concluded
that Rodas, who was driving the red Porsche Carrera GT, suffered
"multiple traumatic injuries," but it was not clear in the report if he
was still alive when the car burst into flames soon after the wreck.