Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

73-Year-Old Man Arrested For Theft, Forgery

A 73-year-old Prescott man has been charged with theft of property and forgery after allegedly bilking a local woman out of a pickup truck.

According to court records, in Oct. 2000,Odell Chambers approached Pauline Battles about using her late brother's pickup, a 1991 GMC, as his own vehicle had "burned up." He reportedly told Battles he would have nothing to else do with her if she didn't let him borrow the truck.

However, Chambers reportedly never returned the vehicle.

According to the records, the title must have been left in the truck, as neither Battles nor her late brother, James, who died in Feb. 2000, had signed it. But, records show, the title had been altered giving possession to Chambers.

Wayne Kisselburg, criminal investigator for the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, contacted the Department of Motor Vehicles on Jan. 11, 2001, to get a copy of the truck's title. When the copy was faxed back, the signatures didn't match either Battles nor her late brothers.

According to the records, the title had been signed on Oct. 28, 2000.

This led to Chambers being arrested and charged with theft of property and forgery.

The theft charges stem from tools, a .22-caliber rifle and some household items being taken that were in the truck at the time Chambers took it.