Full Notification

Criminal suspects that commit auto burglaries and auto thefts are know to prowl parking lots at night, looking for targets for their crime. On 3/12/10, at 12:44 AM, APD officers were conducting surveillance of the parking lot of a bar at 4400 S. Georgia, watching for auto burglars. They saw a green Honda that appeared to be prowling on the lot. The car passed several open parking spots before stopping without parking in a designated row. A passenger stepped out of the car and looked around. Officers said he appeared to be looking to see if anyone was watching him. He looked into one or more parked vehicles. He then got back into the suspect vehicle. As officers continued to watch, the driver continued through the lot a bit more before stopping again. This time, the driver stepped out. Officers saw him duck down or squat beside the driver’s door of a white Honda that was parked on the lot. One of his passengers took his place in the green Honda’s driver’s seat. He walked back and forth between the suspect vehicle and the white Honda twice before getting into the white Honda. He then started it and drove away. The green Honda also left the lot at the same time. Officers stopped the two cars when they pulled out into the 4400 block of S. Georgia. They arrested the driver of the white vehicle and four occupants of the green Honda. Officers located the owner of the white Honda, confirmed that it had been taken without his permission, and returned the car to him. The suspect had used some type of altered key to start the stolen car. The five suspects were booked into the Randall County Jail. APD detectives filed charges of engaging in organized criminal activity against the five males that were arrested. Two are 17 years of age, two are 18 years of age, and one man is 19. Four listed a local address; there is no address information on one man.

Recent directed patrol work has led to other arrests, but the number of persons arrested and charged in this single event made it worth noting. The APD will continue to apply patrol efforts in this manner to make arrests and prevent crime.