Slow-speed police chase in Calera leads to recovery of stolen property

Published 9:39 am Wednesday, February 21, 2024

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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

CALERA – What began as a burglary investigation by the Calera Police Department resulted in a slow-speed chase and the recovery of stolen property according to a statement released on the department’s social media accounts on Feb. 16.

According to the department, two detectives from the Calera Police Department were performing follow-up work related to a burglary investigation when they discovered evidence they believed to be related to a recent theft that occurred in Chilton County.

In what Calera Chief of Police David Hyche said was “simple good police work,” the discovery later led the detectives to locate their suspect as he was pulling a trailer carrying an off-road side-by-side type vehicle that is now also believed to have been stolen.

“A brief and extremely low speed pursuit began and ended fairly quickly after reaching speeds in excess of 5 miles-per-hour,” Hyche said.

The suspect, who was promptly arrested after the slow-speed chase, was not identified in the announcement but is said to have had an arrest record that spans over the past 31 years.

“It’s my understanding that the side-by-side was recently stolen from a Chilton County resident who enjoyed taking his son with him when he rode,” Hyche said. “I love it when we can return stolen property to the person who worked to buy it. I’m also happy when we catch a criminal and hold them accountable.”

Hyche further expressed his dissatisfaction in this being the latest arrest of a repeat offender and stated that he was “never happy” when the department has another run in with career criminals not being held accountable for repeated offenses.