Carjacking at Yucaipa 7-Eleven, Suspect Arrested 6 Hours Later in San Bernardino

A carjacking was reported Wednesday at a 7-Eleven in Yucaipa and a suspect was arrested six hours later when law enforcement observed him working on the stolen vehicle in San Bernardino.

The alleged victim told deputies the suspect physically attacked him and stole his car in the parking lot outside the 7-Eleven at  32487 Yucaipa Blvd., according to the Sheriff's Department. The carjacking was reported at 6:48 p.m. Wednesday.

"Yucaipa patrol personnel responded to the scene and developed investigative leads," a Sheriff's Department statement said. "Deputies from the stations Multiple Enforcement Team were called out to follow up on the leads in the case."

About 12:15 a.m. Thursday, law enforcement spotted the victim's vehicle in the 24000 block of 4th Street, San Bernardino. A man was working on the car and he was taken into custody.

The man, William Joseph Watson, 24, of Ontario, was booked on suspicion of carjacking at Central Detention Center.

Deputies discovered Watson had a previous burglary conviction, and he was on probation as a result of California Assembly Bill 109.

"As part of Governor Jerry Brown's Realignment Plan, or Assembly Bill 109, to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring the state to lower its prison population by 30,000; offenders with non-violent, non-sexual and non-serious convictions will serve reduced sentences in county jails and be placed on local supervision through county Probation," the Sheriff's Department statement said.

Watson's bail for the alleged carjacking was listed as $250,000, but he was held without for violating terms of post-release community supervision, according to inmate records.