COMANCHE COUNTY, Okla_A botched
burglary led to an overnight manhunt in east Comanche County.
It started around 4 p.m. at a house near Northeast 68th and Cache Road. The Comanche County Sheriff's
Department said the homeowner and her friend interrupted a burglar as he was
loading up his truck with stolen goods. They say things took a turn for the
worse when the friend blocked the man in with her car and the homeowner grabbed
a rifle.
Sheriff Stradley
said when the suspect realized he was caught he tried to bargain with the ladies.
As he inched closer, the homeowner moved back. That's when he jumped in his
truck and took off, crashing into a car and almost hitting another woman.
Randy Haselton said
he had front row seats to Monday's chase. The suspect deputies were looking for
drove past his front yard.
"All of a
sudden I heard someone jumping on it, you could hear the passing gear. So I
looked and this guy is cutting down the road, hauling butt. Later on, another
cop car came through here at a high rate of speed."
Comanche County
Sheriff Kenny Stradley said a Good Samaritan spotted the suspect driving into a
neighborhood just south of 75th and Bishop, then alerted authorities. Stradley
said the suspect drove into the neighborhood and ditched his truck. He said he
even tried to hide it behind a metal tank and a gas can. Stradley said the
suspect then took off on foot and deputies were not too far behind him.
"We
searched many buildings, all the buildings out there, we even searched a house.
We searched the pastures. We continued to look until it got dark. When it got
dark, we stayed in the area thinking he may come out."
Stradley said
the suspect managed to elude them. He said the man had one thing on his mind
last night, to get away
"It's like
a rabbit caught in a corner, they've got to get away, get out of there. So,
anytime that happens to an individual they become at that time dangerous."
Sheriff Stradley said although the suspect got away, they do have his
truck and believe they know who he is. Stradley said the man is facing
burglary, assault with a motor vehicle and damage to a motor vehicle charges. If
anyone has any information about the burglary, call the sheriff department at
580-353-4282.
