Sunday morning, the staff of New Song Church discovered that someone wanted to silence their church. Church parishioners discovered their 16 foot long, white Carlson cargo trailer had been stolen from their office parking lot on Blue Ravine Road. The trailer contained the church’s sound equipment, used for church services held at the Folsom High School. The church estimated their losses at $25,000.
A few minutes after the discovery, an alert resident in the 3300 block of Auburn Blvd in Sacramento observed a man driving a white Chevrolet step side truck with a hard tonneau cover and a white spoiler throwing away the church’s signs in a dumpster behind a state building. The signs had been stored inside the stolen trailer. The citizen took pictures of the incident and reported the suspicious activity to the church, who notified police of the investigative lead.
On Tuesday a fleet manager for the Folsom Police Department was traveling on Madison Avenue when he observed the suspect vehicle driving behind him. Having heard about the incident that morning, he was able to copy the license plate, so that investigators could conduct further investigation.
Investigators from the FPD Criminal Investigations Bureau located the stolen trailer at the suspect’s address, and conducted a surveillance Tuesday and Wednesday, until they observed a subject hook the trailer up and drive away.
Investigators stopped the driver, who stated he was simply moving the trailer for Ronald Logston, 43, of Fair Oaks (the owner of the white Chevy truck). During the detention of the driver, Logston’s mother, Janette Louise Ansted, approached officers. After speaking with the officers, Ansted, 63, of Fair Oaks was arrested for her involvement in the theft of the church’s trailer.
Investigators located Ronald Logston Wednesday afternoon in the area of Greenback Lane and Main Avenue in Orangevale. When a marked patrol unit attempted to contact Logston, he fled the area in the white Chevy truck at a high rate of speed, putting officers and citizens in direct danger. Officers terminated pursuing Logston in the interest of public safety.
Logston’s mother bailed out of jail Wednesday evening on charges of conspiracy and possession of stolen property.
Late Wednesday evening investigators from the Folsom Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (Special Service Unit) , and the Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (GSET) located Logston parked near Country Club Lanes (El Camino Avenue and Watt Avenue Sacramento). Logston again took a marked sheriff’s unit in pursuit, which lasted three to four miles, and terminated at the intersection of Engle Road and Walnut Avenue in Carmichael.
Logston was arrested for three separate counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, two counts of evading arrest using a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools, and possession of an illegal weapon. In addition to the new charges, Logston had $200,000+ in outstanding felony warrants.
Logston’s passenger at the time of his arrest, Angela Lipari, 29, of Fair Oaks, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. Logston and Lipari are currently being held in custody at the Sacramento County Jail.
Pastor Dale Borgen of New Song Christian Church said “We are very grateful to the Folsom Police Department for all their hard work, especially Officer Kurt Knudsen. The Folsom Police immediately investigated our theft, continuously updated us on their progress, and did a fantastic job overall.”
Janette Ansted, Ronald Logston, Angela Lipari
