Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies nabbed two car-theft suspects near Idledale on Sunday morning after residents helped point the way.
The suspects ran from police, and the Sheriff’s Office used a reverse-911 system to notify residents near Grapevine and Bear Creek roads. Residents helped deputies find the suspects, including one hiding on a roof, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacki Kelley.
“Our No. 1 concern in using our reverse-911 system was in the event these people might try to take cover inside someone’s home or garage, people could look out for that,” Kelley said.
The investigation started about 1 a.m., when a deputy spotted a suspicious white GMC Yukon near Evergreen Parkway. Before the deputy could pull a U-turn and stop the vehicle, it was gone.
Similar situations played out for the next several hours. Deputies would see the vehicle, but it would take off.
“They played a little bit of cat and mouse,” Kelley said.
Finally, about 9:30 a.m., a deputy spotted the vehicle and started following it. The Yukon pulled into a driveway in the Idledale area; the deputy pulled in behind it, Kelley said. The two people inside ran.
Deputies set up a perimeter and used the reverse-911 system. A resident called 911 at 10 a.m. and said, “I think I’ve got your folks skulking around the neighborhood,” Kelley said.
Deputies arrived and quickly arrested a woman, who Kelley said was a passenger in the Yukon. About a half-hour later, after more tips and directions from residents, they caught the Yukon’s driver, a man hiding on the roof of a home.
The suspects’ names haven’t been released. Kelley said the Yukon was reported stolen in Aurora. Inside, she said, investigators found credit cards and other items related to identity theft, as well as two handguns.
