STORM LAKE, Iowa (KCAU) – Officials said that a man who left a stolen vehicle in a ditch was taken into custody on Monday.  

According to a release from the City of Storm Lake, police were called at 6:45 p.m. to the 1200 block of East 4th Street for a stolen vehicle.  

The release stated that the owner of the vehicle had seen the vehicle traveling on Highway 7 west of Storm Lake, and the owner didn’t know who was driving.  

Surrounding law enforcement agencies were notified of the theft and at 7:30 p.m., deputies with Buena Vista and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office found the vehicle abandoned in a ditch near C-63 and U Avenue.  

The release stated that the Aurelia Police Department was able to find the suspect walking half a mile away. He was identified as Matson Alafanso, 24, of Storm Lake.  

Alafanso was taken into custody by the Aurelia Police, and he was transported to the Buena Vista County Jail. He was charged with second-degree theft.  

The release states that Alfanso was booked and held on a $5,000 bond.