Susan Alexandria allegedly took the Piper Cherokee a few days ago and set the plane down in a field in Cedarville when she ran low on fuel, Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Lt. Scott Dunn said.
Alexandria, who is not a licensed pilot, had her roommate's permission to use the plane for her flying lessons but she flew alone to Modoc County, Dunn said.
A reporter in Modoc County called Alexandria's roommate to ask her why her plane was in a field in Cedarville, Dunn said.
The roommate had no idea her plane was stolen and she contacted the airport and the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, Dunn said. Alexandria's vehicle was found at the airport.
Alexandria, who checked into a motel room in Modoc County, was arrested by the Modoc County Sheriff's Office on a Sonoma County warrant for grand theft of an aircraft, Dunn said.
She will be returned to Sonoma County to face prosecution, Dunn said.
