SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two men were arrested Monday after stealing "bait equipment" placed in a Natomas parking lot by the Sacramento Police Department.
Around 12:16 p.m. the bait equipment was activated by the theft. Thanks to GPS embedded in the equipment, officers were able to track it to a Jaguar that was seen leaving the parking lot that the equipment had been placed in.
Soon after identifying the alleged thief, a chase began after the driver refused to pull over. Once the driver got to El Centro Road near Interstate 80, police officers in vehicles stopped the pursuit and left the chase to a law enforcement helicopter.
From the sky, police saw the Jaguar stop at an apartment complex at Oak Harbour Drive and Gateway Oaks Drive, get out of the car and jump into the passenger side of a waiting van that was parked with the door open, police said.
The van then left the apartment complex and was stopped soon after by officers in vehicles. The stolen bait equipment was found inside the Jaguar and both the driver and passenger of the van (pictured below) were arrested.
The driver of the van was identified as 24-year-old Cyrus Ashford (pictured left above). Ashford was arrested for accessory after the fact and probation violation.
The driver of the Jaguar, who was later a passenger in the van, was identified as 24-year-old Kendrick West (pictured right above). West was arrested for possession of stolen property, felony evading and violation of post-release community supervision.
The department has been deploying bait equipment strategically to take "proactive measures in reducing theft and burglaries throughout the city" according to a press release shared with the public Tuesday.
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