A driver who tracked down their own stolen vehicle in Alameda ended up getting forcibly yanked out of it by the very person who took it, police say, in an incident that unfolded on the 100 block of Brush Street last Wednesday afternoon. Officers were called to the scene at about 1:20 p.m. after the owner located the car, only to have the suspect return, pull them out and speed off before anyone could stop it.
Victim Tracks Own Car, Then Gets Pulled From It
According to the Alameda Police Department, the vehicle had been stolen from another city before the owner found it parked on Brush Street. Officers were advised that the suspect came back to the car, forcibly removed the victim, and fled the scene, according to Patch. By the time patrol units arrived, the vehicle was gone and the suspect was nowhere in sight.
Officers didn’t stay in the dark for long. Using Automated License Plate Readers, they located the vehicle, though it had already been abandoned and was unoccupied when they found it, the outlet reports. That same evening, investigators identified the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant connected to the Brush Street incident.
Suspect Also Wanted in Summer Robbery Case
The warrant wasn’t the only one with the suspect’s name on it. The individual was also wanted in connection with a robbery that occurred in Alameda earlier in the summer, per the same account, and police say that case involved a firearm. Two days after the carjacking, on Friday, officers found the suspect and took them into custody on both warrants.
Police described the arrest as a win for a surveillance tool that has become increasingly controversial nationwide. The department said the technology helped it quickly locate and return the victim’s vehicle; officers took an individual with connections to firearms off the streets, Patch reports. Alameda police did not release the suspect’s name, age, or the specific charges filed.
License Plate Readers Draw Scrutiny Even as Police Tout Them
Automated license plate readers have been around for decades, but the technology has recently drawn more attention amid privacy concerns tied to companies like Flock and allegations that data has been shared with federal immigration authorities, Patch reports. Other departments, including Berkeley’s, have also credited the cameras with cracking cases that might otherwise have gone unsolved, according to the outlet…