When most people need a ride they phone a friend. When that’s not an option they might call a rideshare service and some go as far as to hitchhike. Few decide that stealing a vehicle is their only option. Despite that, it’s allegedly what one man in Arizona did a few days ago. What’s truly bizarre though is that for whatever reason, the vehicle he chose just so happened to be a big rig with over $1.25 million bucks worth of Chevrolet Corvettes on the trailer.
The theft went down on February 15th according to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office. It says that the subject, a 23-year-old struck up a conversation with a truck driver at the Wilcox Loves Truck Stop. Then, as the truck driver was boarding his vehicle, the suspect assaulted the driver, threw him from the truck, and hopped in the driver’s seat. After locking the vehicle, the suspect drove away with 10 Corvettes in tow.
Authorities say that they caught up with the suspect and the semi-truck about nine miles down Fort Grant Rd. An officer evidently attempted to stop the vehicle but to no avail. Only after driving recklessly and forcing cars off of the road did the driver ultimately pull over and surrender to officers.
How exactly did they think the chase would end? Of all the possible vehicles on the road, a semi-truck might be the worst choice for someone trying to outrun the law. Yes, somehow it’s worse than a PT Cruiser. At the same time, it’s not like the police could’ve used a PIT maneuver on the big rig. Maybe the suspect planned to find a spot where he could off-load one of the Corvettes and then get away. Maybe he just loves Volvo semi trucks. We’ll likely never know.
What’s clear though is that authorities say he admitted to taking the truck because “he needed a truck to get home as he had just been released from prison.” For the time being he doesn’t have to worry about that issue since he’s facing charges of robbery, felony theft, and 11 counts of Theft by Means of Transportation. The suspect allegedly also said that he didn’t steal the truck for the Corvettes themselves.
Chief Hadfield of the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office stated in a post on Facebook.
“I am extremely proud of the officer and deputy involved in this investigation. The deputy and officer showed great restraint and patience in bringing a serious crime to a peaceful resolution, all while keeping the property of others from being damaged. The stolen vehicle was safely recovered without damage and was released to the driver so he could continue his delivery. Again, I thank the officer and deputy who were involved in this investigation for keeping our citizens safe.”
Managing to apprehend the suspect without injury to any of the parties involved and without damage to the property involved is a noteworthy accomplishment. Certainly, the families of all involved can be happy about that as can the future owners of those Corvettes. Now, let’s just hope that they drive them in such a way that this isn’t the most exciting thing they are ever involved in.
Not sure I’ll ever get a response, but this seems like funny police-math. (e.g $1 Million street value for a dime bag of Marijuana)
10 Corvettes for $1.25 Million? So $125k each?
I was told that Corvettes were the “affordable” sports car sold for only $60k.
Was this really a truck load of 10 trim levels that are DOUBLE the base price?
I think it includes the truck. Makes more sense that way.
Wow, that’s gonna sting. Guy should have vetted his options more carefully.
I think once you have been imprisoned for a certain time in a system that actively resists rehabilitation, your outlook becomes “take as much as possible, every time, and damn the consequences.”
Do the corvettes get a CarMax previously stolen record?
What a wild story.
11 counts of Theft of Means of Transportation.
Each count carrying up to an 8 year prison sentence in AZ.
You chose the exact wrong vehicle(s) to steal buddy.
Bring on the plea deals.
This story is so sad. Largely because nothing in it is surprising (except that no one got shot, yeah, a bonus).
All were relieved he didn’t try to muster a last stand when cochise county had him surrounded. Of course he would need mustangs for that.
Cochise faired much better in those lands at the time than Geronimo.
“In that alien climate,” The Washington Post reported, “the Apache died ‘like flies at frost time.’ Businessmen there soon had the idea to have Geronimo serve as a tourist attraction, and hundreds of visitors daily were let into the fort to lay eyes on the ‘bloodthirsty’ Indian in his cell.”
While the prisoners of war were in Florida, the government relocated hundreds of their children from their Arizona reservation to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. More than a third of the students quickly perished from tuberculosis, “died as though smitten with the plague”, the Post reported.
I recognize that post can be easily recognized and read as a nonsense non sequitur to the previous comment.
That was not my train of thought.
I didn’t mean to belittle Hoonicus for their remarks with comedic intensions.
I just can’t stand anyone who ignores the history of a place and therefore can’t understand the history of the people raised there.
It was a prison in the 1800’s
It’s still a prison now.
Fuck Arizona in the face!
“How exactly did they think the chase would end?”
I’m gonna guess the plan was something like this:
It’s the ????? that I’m still tryin to figure out haha – thanks for reading!
“It’s the ????? that I’m still tryin to figure out haha – thanks for reading!”
Yeah I think the thief is ALSO trying to figure out that part too! LOL
Now, let’s just hope that they drive them in such a way that this isn’t the most exciting thing they are ever involved in.
You mean, drive their cars not like, but even harder, than if they stole them?
Harder still…
“What’s clear though is that authorities say he admitted to taking the truck because ‘he needed a truck to get home as he had just been released from prison.'”
The suspect later added that he was “traveling” and not “driving” and that the authorities did not have a right to restrict his freedom of movement.
From what I understand, there are some people who become so dependent on being in prison that they can’t handle the idea of being back in the outside world and having to deal with getting their own shelter, food, etc. As soon as they get out, they’ll do something that gets them back in again. Maybe that was this guy.
When he said he needed a ride back home, he was talking about the police car, not the truck.
I think that is exactly what he meant.
Fun fact:
Arizona state prison Ft. Grant is 44 miles from Wilcox AZ. You just head north on, you guessed it, Fort Grant Rd.
He was literally driving back toward the prison.
Wow. I am speechless.
That’s pretty sad.
Dudes only 23, there’s no way he’s done “hard time” yet. He’s done six years maximum, if that.
He’s not yet “institutionalized”, but he for sure hasn’t ever been taught how to make good decisions.
Something prison can’t teach someone who’s parents and or upbringing failed them at.
It is sad.
Given different life circumstances he could easily be your jovial energetic co-worker that you enjoy talking with over another mundane Monday morning coffee.
As it is… he’s now stuck in the penitentiary system for what might just be the rest of his worthwhile years of life.
I want to give the poor child/man a hug.
A good hug!
I want to tell him…
Turn right out of that Wilcox Loves, head for interstate 10.
Don’t turn left! That leads directly to the prison.
Turn right, get on the highway, head east, head home to Oklahoma you poor bastard who was born in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We as a society too often blame individuals for their actions while simultaneously giving them no other options for survival.
It’s incredibly sad.
They refer to this as institutionalized in The Shawshank Redemption.
“These walls are funny. First you hate ’em, then you get used to ’em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.”
That was my thought. Even factoring the guy being a complete idiot, panicking once actually on the outside and wanting to go back to prison makes more sense than stealing a truck full of Corvettes to get himself home. If he actually had a home, I imagine it would have to be somewhere he’s staying with family as I highly doubt he had an apartment or his own house paid up and waiting for him. He couldn’t get any of them to give him a ride? I believe federal prison gives released inmates a ride, but I imagine it varies at the more local level.
They certainly don’t do that at Sing Sing or Westchester County jail. They tell them to get on a train and whatever happens after that is none of their business.
That’s exactly what I thought. Unfortunately life for people outside of prisons and similar institutions is often way worse than being there. Early in my career I worked on a crisis team for a while and we’d have to go and assess folks who’d just been discharged from inpatient facilities pretty often. They’d get out, realize that 3 meals, their own bed, clean sheets, and structure was nicer than whatever they were returning home to, and your imagination can fill in the gaps.
Some gave up after a while. Others escalated things until they were wheeled back into the same hospital that discharged them within a few hours. It was honestly really sad. I’d imagine that prison is a similar experience for a lot of folks. Fucked up country we’ve got here…
Not to mention the country wide shuffling about of prisoners from state to state due to security levels and overcrowding.
Dude is a 23 year old Oklahoma resident released in the middle of nowhere Arizona.
If he’s lucky they gave him $200.00 gate money minus clothing and shoe costs before they dropped him off at a truck stop to become a productive member of society.
It’s safe to say he didn’t get into prison due to a life of wealth, education and family/community support.
Probably released on parole, which often requires you take up permanent residence in the exact same zip code where your crimes were committed. Stuck in the same circumstances, with the same people that led up to said crimes.
What can we really expect when this is how we release people?
We don’t even give them a chance.
I love good jokes, but this guy sounds like he needs intensive mental health treatment instead of going back to prison. Stealing a car carrier because you need a ride home is not the act of a rational mind. Too bad the US tends to use prisons as a replacement for inpatient psychiatric care.
Phase 1 steal Corvettes phase 2 ??????? Phase 3 profit.
Getaway plan: drive until the road runs out, Crap that’s on 10 miles
Wilcox Love? Pretty sure I saw her in a movie one time in college.
Can someone watch this guy when they release him again?
I suspect he’ll be a repeat offender again.
Ger her! That was your whole plan, huh? Get her.
Very scientific.
This guy saw inflation and cost of living and said nope, I am going back to assisted living.
“he needed a truck to get home as he had just been released from prison”
That’s, ah, hmm … well. I thought I had something for that