By SDCN Staff
Lakeside, CA–A woman accused of committing an armed carjacking in Lakeside is behind bars after deputies used Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to locate the stolen vehicle and apprehend the suspect, authorities said.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on June 6, in the 11600 block of Hi Ridge Road in Lakeside.
Investigators said two individuals were standing outside their GMC Yukon when they were approached by a woman armed with a handgun. The suspect allegedly demanded the vehicle as well as personal belongings from the victims’ pockets. Fearing for their safety, the victims complied, and the suspect drove away in the stolen SUV.
Deputies from the Lakeside Sheriff’s Substation responded to the scene and conducted a search of the surrounding area but were unable to locate the suspect. The stolen GMC Yukon was subsequently entered into the Sheriff’s Automated License Plate Reader system as deputies worked to identify and locate the armed suspect.
The investigation took a significant turn early Sunday morning when, shortly before 1:30 a.m., a deputy from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station received an alert from the ALPR system indicating the stolen vehicle had been detected near Jamacha Road and Sweetwater Road in Spring Valley.
The deputy responded to the area and located the Yukon parked at a convenience store in the 1000 block of Elkelton Road. Authorities contacted a woman matching the suspect’s description near the driver’s side door of the vehicle.
The woman was identified as 43-year-old Oralia Covernali and was taken into custody without incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators determined that Covernali had an extensive criminal history and an outstanding felony warrant for her arrest. She was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, robbery, and the outstanding warrant.
Covernali was transported to the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility, where she was booked into custody.
Sheriff’s officials credited the ALPR system with playing a key role in locating the stolen vehicle and apprehending a suspect considered armed and dangerous.
“The ALPR camera system continues to be a valuable tool in enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement efforts to identify, locate, and apprehend dangerous criminal offenders,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Authorities noted that the case highlights the effectiveness of license plate reader technology in helping deputies quickly locate stolen vehicles and remove potentially dangerous suspects from the community.
