At about 3:17am Saturday morning, Turlock Police Officer Kauffman got out with a suspicious vehicle parked at the Venice Motel in the 1100 block of N. Golden State Boulevard.

Kauffman attempted to make contact at the room the vehicle was parked in front of, but no one answered the door. He then went to the office and learned that the person staying in the room was a searchable probationer.

After several more minutes of knocking on the door’s room, Kauffman was finally able to get an answer from Jeffrey Lambert, 41, of Turlock.

When Kauffman had his dispatcher run Lambert, he discovered that he had a $50,500 local felony bench warrant for auto theft and buying or receiving a stolen vehicle. He was also on searchable probation for identity theft.

Lambert was arrested and placed in the back of a patrol vehicle.

Kauffman then attempted to begin his probation search of the room, when another man emerged from the bathroom. He stated that he had no idea officers had been there for 15 minutes, despite them knocking on the door for several minutes and speaking with Lambert while he was inside the room.

That man was clear and not on any type of probation or parole, so he was sent on his way.

No contraband was located during a subsequent probation search of the room.

Lambert was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on his warrant.