McAllen, TX - An Officer Trying to Arrest a Car Thief gets His Car Stolen - Chase Suspect Gets Away

 

Undercover officers in McAllen trying to catch car crooks wind up getting their own vehicle stolen.

It happened Thursday as they paid a late night visit to a housing authority complex, off of McColl and Jasmin.

McAllen Chief Victor Rodriguez said this area has been recently targeted by vandals and thieves.

A resident there, who didn't want to give us her name, said several people have been victimized.

And, ironically Thursday night so were the police.

An officer's decoy truck was stolen.

"The officer parked it and went on foot patrol around that area," explained McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez. "And, in the course of that it was very obvious to us now that they basically followed him in there. They thought he was a resident there. As soon as he parked it , they went after the pick up truck."

A suspect driver then lead police on a chase, ditched the truck near Tower Road and FM 107 and got away.

The truck, which was awarded to McAllen Police from drug seizures, was eventually recovered.

Rodriguez believes the suspect or suspects involved in that theft may have have also been caught on surveillance video at a north McAllen apartment complex, on the 4500 block of north 10th Street.

Two people of interest were recorded driving back and forth in two light colored cars, then were seen walking in the direction of a 2002 grey Dodge truck.

Sounds of breaking glass are heard on the video along with the sounds of screeching tires.

"What's unique about this vehicle that was stolen is that it's got some vertical stripes on the bed of the truck," said Sgt. Joel Morales, a spokesman for the McAllen Police Department. "It's got a spoiler and the letters on the tailgate are chrome."

Police are hoping someone can identify the people of interest or the two cars and help them find the stolen truck.

Meanwhile, the housing authority resident we interviewed is shocked that police became victims in her neighborhood.

She hopes they catch the suspects too.

Anyone with information is urged to call McAllen Crime Stoppers at 687-TIPS.
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