Police: Multi-County Car-Stealing Spree Started In Irving
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) —Steal car, crash it, repeat. That seems to be the gist of a suspected crime spree police say began in Irving and ended with a chase and standoff near Commerce, northeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Just before 4:30 a.m. Commerce Police responded to a call about a car that left the scene of an accident in Hunt County Saturday, according to the department. When officers found the car, police say Demetrecia Leamon Johnson led them on a chase until he crashed the car in Delta County near Jerningan Creek. Police believe the Houston man had been on a car-stealing spree beginning in Irving.
Police say the 44-year-old first stole a car in Irving and crashed it in Lamar County, which is more than 100 miles from where he allegedly began his spree. When someone stopped to help, police say Johnson stole that person's car and drove south until he crashed again south of Commerce, at the intersection of Highway 24 and County Road 4112 in Hunt County.
The cycle started again.
Police say a passerby stopped to help him there, and Johnson stole that person's car too. That's where Commerce Police officers came in.
Responding to the early morning call, Commerce Police found the tan Dodge Johnson was driving and tried to pull him over. Police say he instead led them on a chase into Delta County, where he crashed one last time.
Officers then began a "felony traffic stop, but the driver refused to comply," police say. The officers tased Johnson, but he took the barbs out of his body, Commerce Police say.
Johnson was finally taken into custody after Delta County Deputies arrived to help. Those officers deployed pepper spray and tased Johnson, Commerce Police say.
Johnson has been booked into Hunt County Jail with seven offenses totaling $150,000, including felonies. Police say Johnson has had previous convictions and 16 aliases.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)