ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – A stolen Jeep out of Texas had generated a lot of buzz on social media when a prominent car dealership asked the public for help, showing surveillance video of the suspect.
The case would make it all the way to Arkadelphia, Arkansas though.
The dealership, Collins Brothers Jeep, in Wylie, Texas blasted social media asking for the public’s help. It was seen thousands of times on Facebook but the Arkadelphia Police Department meanwhile, really had no idea and had no reason to believe they’d come across it.
It really was a run-of-the-mill traffic stop for two Arkadelphia PD Officers, with the exception of the bright green, $60,000 Jeep sitting on a six inch lift with 37 inch tires.
Officer Shawn Johnson initiated the stop, pulling the Jeep over alongside Officer Alvin Johnson. The Jeep didn’t have a license plate and was seen on private land along WP Malone Wednesday (5/31) night around 11:45.
The story the driver gave wasn’t adding up for Officer S. Johnson who found out it was stolen out of Texas when he ran the VIN.
The Officers arrested the driver who was also wearing a shirt from the dealership the Jeep came from.
Thursday, the owner was able to drive up to Arkansas to get his show Jeep back and meet the guys who found it.
“Often we don’t meet the victim, especially on an out of state stolen vehicle,” Chief Jason “Shorty” Jackson said. “So that was a nice touch for the guys too to actually get to meet the victim and spend a few minutes getting to meet with him.”
Jackson called it good old fashion police work but acknowledges it might not have garnered as much attention if it was just a regular car stopped.
While the Jeep has already made its way back to Texas, the suspect still sits in Clark County Jail waiting on potential felony charges when he’s taken back to Texas.
