RIPON — A Ripon Police patrolman pulled the driver of a stolen vehicle over before the victim even knew her car had been stolen seconds earlier.

Officer Mike Perry arrested Ronald Allen Jacobs, 27, of Modesto who was booked into San Joaquin County Jail on three felony counts including violation of probation, auto theft, possession of stolen property charges and driving without a license, according to police spokesman First Sergeant Steve Merchant. He is being held without bail and has a court date of Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in the Manteca Branch of the San Joaquin County Superior Court.

Perry was on patrol shortly before 7 a.m. Tuesday in the area of the Loves Truck Stop near Jack Tone Road when he observed a white Honda Accord leaving the driveway of the La Quinta Inn and Suites adjacent to Highway 99.

Perry said the driver locked up his brakes when he looked at his patrol car across the roadway. The officer noted in his report that the driver sped out of the driveway striking a curbing on Colony Road with the patrolman immediately making a traffic stop on the vehicle.

While Ripon officers were investigating the driver’s actions, the victim called the police department to report her white Honda Accord had just been stolen from in front of the nearby hotel. She had apparently left the vehicle running to warm it up, police said.

Sgt. Merchant said his department would like to remind citizens to please refrain from leaving their vehicle running while unattended.