‘I was taking a s***’; Drone finds suspect in woods in Pierce County, WA
Pierce County van theft suspect caught hiding in bee farm
Pierce County Sheriff's deputies went through quite the journey to track down a suspect connected to a stolen van, using a drone and braving a bee farm to locate and arrest him.
TACOMA, Wash. - Pierce County sheriff’s deputies used a drone to track down and arrest a man connected to the investigation of a stolen work vehicle Friday morning after navigating dense woods and a bee farm.
The incident began when deputies were called to investigate a report of a stolen work van found near a ditch near 10500 19th Avenue Court East.
A witness informed law enforcement that a man was seen removing tools from the vehicle before running into nearby brush.
Drone deployed in search
Local perspective:
Deputies launched a drone equipped with thermal imaging to locate the man in the dense woods.
Body camera footage captured a deputy noting that the individual had ducked into the bushes just as authorities arrived on the scene.
"Drones are a significant help. It's another tool for us to use," said Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Carly Cappetto. "We don't have tons of boots on the ground to find a suspect hiding in the woods."
Court documents indicate the suspect, who was wearing Crocs, concealed himself inside a thicket so dense that the drone’s heat sensors failed to detect him during several initial passes.
Arrest made near bee farm
What they're saying:
After repeated sweeps, the drone located the man’s position. Deputies navigated through a bee farm to reach the thicket and surround him.
"Kind of an eerie feeling watching some of the body cam, you can see little droplets, which are bees, crossing through the screen," said Cappetto.
Body camera footage recorded deputies ordering the man to raise his hands as they closed in. According to the footage, the suspect questioned why he was being detained, claiming to investigators that he had only stopped in the brush to use the bathroom.
Suspect: "What did I do, man?"
Deputy: "What do you mean, ‘What did you do?’"
Suspect: "I was taking a s***."
Deputy: "Cool. We'll talk to you in a second as soon as I read you your rights."
Court appearance delayed
What's next:
The suspect faces a charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer.
He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, but the hearing was delayed because an interpreter was required for the proceedings.
Authorities stated that the investigation remains active.
Cappetto noted that the incident serves as a seasonal reminder regarding crimes of opportunity, warning drivers not to leave running vehicles unattended to warm up.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter AJ Janavel.