FAIR OAKS RANCH — A homeowner’s tip helped police nab two suspected auto thieves after a high-speed chase ended with a stolen car crashing into a utility pole on the Interstate 10 West access road.
Officers said the arrests may yield more details on the thefts of as many as four vehicles taken during the early morning hours in the Fairways and Cibolo Trails neighborhoods.
“We believe that a couple cars drove in with multiple people in them,” Police Chief Todd Smith said Tuesday. “We feel they pretty much drive down the street looking for cars with their doors unlocked.”
All four autos taken overnight were located and returned to their owners, according to investigators. The department received numerous reports from residents regarding overnight criminal activity.
Preliminary findings suggest the thieves canvassed neighborhoods looking “for crimes of opportunity,” police said.
Officers are asking for the public’s help to clear the other cases.
“I know we didn’t catch them all,” Smith said. “That’s why we need our residents’ help.”
Investigators are asking neighbors who saw anything, know something or may have captured images on a security camera to call the Police Department at 210-698-0990.
The case involving the arrests unfolded at 4:06 a.m. Monday when a resident reported scattered papers in the roadway. Officers arrived, determined the loose papers were the contents of a purse and spoke to the handbag’s owner, who said her 2018 GMC Yukon was stolen from her driveway.
Within minutes, officers located the vehicle leaving a residential area. Officers chased the Yukon at accelerated speeds; the pursuit ended when the vehicle struck a utility pole on the I-10 eastbound access road near Leon Springs.
Two individuals who are not residents of Fair Oaks Ranch were taken into custody; one sustained serious injuries in the crash and was rushed to a local hospital.
The other person was booked, Smith said, and the second will be formally charged after being medically cleared by the hospital.
Their names and specific charges were not released.
According to authorities, officers discovered a loaded, stolen handgun inside the Yukon. The firearm did not belong to the owner.
Police are urging residents to secure their vehicles.
“While the circumstances of the burglaries and thefts are still under investigation, residents can take proactive steps to reduce their risk of being victimized,” Smith said. “Lock your vehicles, remove valuables from plain view, and report suspicious activity to police immediately.”
That includes not leaving keys or remote key fobs in the vehicle.
“How are we going to deter crimes or crime sprees, if people leave cars unlocked, leave valuables in the cars, even keys, those fobs?” he said. “They (thieves) can be in that car and gone in 10 seconds. Then it puts our officers and the public at jeopardy when it turns into a high-speed chase.”
Meanwhile, the department will increase patrols across the city.
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