Posted at 6:49 p.m., Sunday, December 17, 2006
Man arrested in car chase charged with auto theft
Advertiser Staff
A 19-year-old man arrested Wednesday after a police pursuit in central O'ahu was charged Friday with auto theft.Nathan Branco, no permanent local address, was being held in lieu of $30,000. His initial appearance is Monday at District Court.
Branco, who was placed on five years probation in November after pleading guilty to four auto-theft charges, has ties with GTAG or Grand Theft Auto Gang, an active auto-theft ring who members reportedly play out video-game scenarios, according to court records.
Branco was arrested Wednesday after being spotted by police in a stolen car. While fleeing from police, he drove the car into two other vehicles on Pali Momi Street, police said. Police found him hiding in the mangroves at McGrew Point.
In an unrelated case, police on Friday captured a juvenile escapee from the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility who is also known to have ties to GTAG. The juvenile escaped in October and was arrested in the Halawa area on an anonymous tip.
