Jan 18, 2008 6:52 pm US/Central
Tracking Device Helps In Stolen Motorcycle Arrest
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A tracking device on a stolen motorcycle leads to an arrest and CBS 11 News cameras are there when it happened.
One North Fort Worth homeowner was victimized twice by the same burglar. If it wasn't for the tracking device on the bike the man responsible might still be on the run.
An alert Colleyville police officer picked up the sound of the tracking device while driving behind the stolen motorcycle. When the officer attempted to pull to driver over he speeds away and escapes.
'LoJack [Car Security Systems] falls right in with those type of initiatives that you can do yourself to help law enforcement," said Jesse Minton, Tarrant County Auto Theft Task Force.
After the discovery, a number of North Texas law enforcement agencies began looking for the biker.
The tracking led Fort Worth police and the Tarrant County Auto Theft Task Force to a house in North Richland Hills. It was there that 22-year-old Jonathan Lewis was taken into custody.
Police say Lewis is responsible for both of the burglaries at the North Fort Worth house. During the burglary in early December thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen - including keys a motorcycle.
According to authorities, Lewis came back to the house Wednesday and stole the bike. Investigators believe Lewis may also be responsible for a December burglary in Saginaw.
"The homeowner was home and confronted the subject at gunpoint. However, at this point in the investigation we don't know for sure if it's him or not, but we're following all our leads to try and connect the two," Minton said.
Police say the recovery of the motorcycle is a perfect example of how extra theft protection for a vehicle pays off. Minton says, "Anything you can do to help yourself helps us."
Investigators say they are confident with Lewis' arrest and with him in custody may be able to solve other North Texas burglaries, most of them specifically dealing with motorcycles and motorcycle equipment.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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