Officers catch suspected A/C thieves in the act

JONESBORO, Ark. – Two less suspected copper thieves are roaming the streets after an early morning chase Sunday.

Jonesboro police officers were dispatched at 4:30 a.m. Sunday to the 900-block of Old Paragould Road in Jonesboro to a property owner that had placed security cameras up near where the air conditioners where. He told officers he did this because of the problems with thefts he has had.

The cameras paid off Sunday morning.

Officers headed to the area on foot and heard metal clanking as they approached the area where two air conditioner units were. When they reached the sound, they found two units dismantled and pulled into an open path. They continued the search.

Around 50 yards away, Officer Bryan Davis noticed two silhouettes of two male subjects attempting to conceal themselves in tall grass, according to the incident report.

“We shined our lights on the subjects, identified ourselves as police, and yelled for the subjects to show us their hands,” Davis wrote in the narrative. “One of the subjects began running, while the other suspect laid on the ground.”

Davis began chasing the suspect, who tossed what the officer believed was a gun or a drill during the foot chase. The suspect looked over his shoulder and realizing he could not outrun Officer Davis, he hit his knees and placed his hands behind his head, the report said.

Glenn Gage, 23, of Jonesboro, was the man Davis said ran from him. In addition to felony charges, he was cited for fleeing and criminal trespassing and will be in court Wednesday, July 6 at 1 p.m. He was held in lieu of a $465 surety bond. The man was also on probation.

The suspect who surrendered without chase was Robby Wayne Richardson, 47, of Jonesboro.

Both men face felony charges of theft greater than $1,000 and criminal mischief in the first degree for the damage caused to the man’s air conditioner units.