Stolen SUV Crashes, Wheel Falls Off, Suspect Caught with Stolen Tools
Photo: Antonio Neely
CONCORD — Absent his bad luck it seems this probationer would have no luck at all. He allegedly crashed a stolen SUV used to steal tools, a front wheel fell off, and he was arrested.
Numerous witnesses reported various aspects of this brief crime spree on April 18th. While fleeing from the Home Depot store on Arnold Drive in Martinez, the suspect had a hit and run accident. Martinez PD was on the lookout for him.
wheel falls off
While fleeing from the collision, several persons reported seeing a black SUV driving recklessly near a bus stop in Concord. Witnesses saw it exiting Highway 242, near Solano Way and Grant Street.
Suddenly, one of the front wheels fell off. Nevertheless, the suspect attempted to continue driving, until grinding to a halt on what was left of the rim. The driver ran away from the hot SUV into a nearby neighborhood, taking with him a backpack and boxes of tools.
Concord officers searched for the suspect, helped by residents phoning to report seeing a man running and jumping over fences.
Along the way, he discarded a backpack, which was recovered as evidence. Inside the backpack, officers found tools reported stolen from Home Depot.
From a law enforcement perspective this story has a happy ending. Concord officers apprehended the suspect identified as Antonio Neely, 24 of Martinez, without further incident.
A records check revealed that Neely was on probation for robbery and evading police. For his actions, Neely was arrested on suspicion of committing a plethora of crimes and booked at county jail.
