Edcouch, TX - Man Steals Prison Guard's Car That Was Left Running - Patrol Car Chase - Arrested
April 9, 2010
By Jordan Williams / www.krgv.com
Edcouch police say they've found a man who stole a prison guard's car and
then led them on a chase.
Investigators say it was a crime of opportunity. We’re told a jailer from La
Villa left his car running when he stopped for some snacks at a Stripes store
this morning. It's against the law to leave your car running unattended. When
the jailer got out of the store, his car was gone.
Police say 19-year-old Joel Joshua Paniagua stole it. Officers in Edcouch
spotted him. They tell us he refused to stop and led them on a chase.
In court, the teen tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS, “I was just trying to go home. I live
in Edinburg.”
“You're not supposed to leave the keys inside, especially if you leave it
running, even if it's just for minutes to go get a couple of snacks from the
store,” says Edcouch Police Chief Eloy Cardenas. “It just goes to show you -
crime will happen in seconds.”
Paniagua is in jail. He’s being held on a $25,000 bond.
The car was returned to the jailer who left it unattended.