Suspected car thieves arrested after leading police on 2 chases in north Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Four suspected thieves are in custody after they allegedly broke into a used car lot overnight in north Houston. One of the suspects even led police on a chase that lasted for miles.

It all started when an alarm went off inside the office of the used car lot located at Airline near Tidwell.

Eyewitness News reporter Jeff Ehling is on the scene where authorities say two vehicles were stolen from a used car lot.

Authorities say the men pried the burglar bars off the window of the office, broke in and grabbed the board that held the keys to all the cars.

As police arrived, two vehicles were pulling out of the lot.

Officers pulled over the first one, a red Chevy pickup truck, after a short chase. Three suspects were inside with burglary tools. They were taken into custody.

However, the second vehicle never stopped. Transtar cameras show the wild chase involving the fourth suspect.

The pursuit went down I-45 to the spur by the University of Houston.

It eventually moved over to the Beltway and Post Oak. That's where an officer decided it was safe enough to use the PIT maneuver, where he forced the fleeing SUV off the road by using his own patrol car to tap the back of the suspect's SUV.

"At that point conditions were favorable, one of our officers who is trained in the PIT maneuver, conducted the PIT maneuver, safely bringing the chase to an end," said HPD Lt. Larry Crowson.

The fourth suspect was arrested.

Police give an update at the scene on the overnight chase.

Police are not sure if they got all the suspects because the board with all of the keys was taken.

Authorities say the owner has to take inventory before they can be sure all the cars are accounted for.

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