This afternoon at approximately 3:00 p.m., the Tulare Regional Auto Theft Taskforce (TRATT) identified a stolen red Toyota Camry from Visalia. Detectives tracked the vehicle to the intersection of Crenshaw Street and Victor Court. At this location, one of the passengers exited the Camry and entered another stolen vehicle, a black Ford Edge, which had not yet been reported as stolen.
As the detectives moved to intercept both vehicles, a 16-year-old juvenile abandoned the red Toyota and fled on foot. Concurrently, the driver of the black Ford Edge, also a 16-year-old, attempted to run over a detective, colliding with the officer’s vehicle in the process. The collision rendered the Ford Edge inoperable, allowing detectives to apprehend the driver without further incident. The juvenile who had fled on foot was located shortly afterward, hiding in a nearby backyard.
Fortunately, the detective involved in the incident was unharmed. Both juveniles are now facing multiple theft charges, with the driver of the black Ford Edge additionally charged with assault on a police officer.
