21-8494
On Thursday at 10:30 p.m., officers responded to a theft in progress call at 4411 East Freeway, Baytown GMC. The caller was a security provider who reported seeing two men in the dealership parking lot attempting to remove the tires from a silver 2020 GMC Sierra. Upon arrival, the suspects ran from officers toward the Meadowlake subdivision (unincorporated Harris County). Officers formed a perimeter and began tracking the men with a K9. A TX DPS helicopter was summoned and assisted our officers with the search. The DPS tactical flight officer spotted one of the suspects hiding in a shed in the backyard of a Shawnee St. residence. As officers converged on the shed, the suspect fled and jumped the backyard fence. He was apprehended in the back yard of an Apache St residence without incident. The suspect was identified as 35 year old Brenham, TX man Rodney Tates. Officers returned to the dealership and observed a vehicle jack and numerous landscaping bricks near the silver 2020 GMC Sierra. A common trend in tire and wheel theft involves lifting the victim’s vehicle up with a jack, removing the tires, and lowering the vehicle onto bricks so the jack can be removed. The tires had not been removed due to the timely call from the witness and close proximity of responding officers. Tates was charged with Evading Arrest. His accomplice was not located.