By GREG BISCHOF
03/01/05 - Texarkana Gazette

Despite being handcuffed, two juveniles drove a Bowie County Sheriff's patrol unit two to three miles, abandoned it, fled on foot and were apprehended after a three-hour manhunt on Monday, officials said.

The two suspects, 17-year-old Mark Lamb of Little Rock and a 16-year-old juvenile, were apprehended about 9:15 p.m. Monday just south of County Road 4137, two to three miles north of the Crossroads Community in Bowie County, said Sherrie Pappas, captain of Bowie County's Sheriff's Department uniformed patrol division.

Lamb and the juvenile were initially stopped near the Crossroads Community on Farm-to-Market Road 561 about 6:15 p.m. Monday after complaints had been phoned in by area residents.

Deputy Russell Crawford responded and found Lamb and the juvenile suspect in a Ford van broken down on the side of the road.

Crawford said he ran a check and found the van had been stolen out of Little Rock. He handcuffed Lamb and the juvenile suspect and put them in the back seat of his patrol unit, which is an SUV.

Crawford said he went back to the Ford van to search it and apparently Lamb was able to free one of his hands from the handcuffs, get in the front seat of the patrol unit and drive away.

After the manhunt that ensued, Lamb was arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, or motor theft, for taking Crawford's SUV patrol vehicle, and escape and theft by exercising control over $1,500 for the stolen van. The last charge means Lamb and the juvenile suspect asked if they could borrow the Ford van and then allegedly stole it.

The juvenile was arrested and charged with escape and the theft by exercising control over $1,500 charge on stolen van.

Pappas said upon gaining control of the deputy's patrol vehicle, the juveniles were one mile west of the Crossroads Community and drove it about two to three miles before abandoning the vehicle just one mile east of the Crossroads Community.

The suspects fled into the nearby woods, she said.

About three hours into the manhunt, the suspects were spotted in a wooded area by the Bowie County Sheriff's Department helicopter. Law enforcement officials on the ground were told where the suspects were and the suspects were apprehended, Pappas said.

About 20 people were looking for the suspects, including officials with the sheriff's department, Department of Public Safety and the Texas game warden's office.

Before the suspects were apprehended, Simms Volunteer Fire Department officials were notifying area residents about the manhunt and advising residents to be on the lookout for the suspects.