SUSPECTED TRUCK THIEF ARRESTED BY NAVASOTA POLICE

  

A suspected truck thief was taken into custody on Sunday night after being caught by the Navasota Police Department.

Around 8pm, Navasota Police Officers responded to a call in the 600 block of White Street to a report of an attempted vehicle theft.

Witnesses stated a male suspect broke into a Dodge 2500 truck and attempted to steal it, but had fled without taking the truck.

Upon investigation, officers discovered the steering column had been damaged.

Then at approximately 10pm, Police responded to a call in the 1800 block of Birdie Court to a report of an attempted theft of another Dodge 2500 truck.

Officers located the truck, which was still running but unoccupied, on the sidewalk in the 7700 block of Bunker Street.

Neighbors told police that they witnessed a suspect fleeing on foot towards Highway 105.  Officers patrolled the area searching for suspects.

During the same time frame of around 10pm, another Navasota Officer, while patrolling the east side of town, observed a vehicle in the back of a property in the 9900 block of State Highway 6.

The officer made contact with a subject who was identified as 37-year-old J.R. Copeland of Grimes County.

Copeland was discovered to be driving a Ford F-450 truck and was attempting to steal a Ford F-250.

The Ford F-450 was found to be stolen out of Harris County and had a car hauler trailer attached to it.  The trailer had no identifying numbers or registration.

During the investigation, it was determined the Ford F-250 truck had contained evidence related to the attempted theft.

Copeland was taken into custody for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Theft ($2500-30,000), and a fictitious license plate.  

Navasota Police Investigators are investigating the cases and asking anyone with information or video footage related to the attempted thefts to contact the Navasota Police Criminal Investigations Division at (936)825-6410 or Grimes County Crime Stoppers at (936)873-2000.