A 22-year-old Arnold man recently was arrested after he allegedly tried to steal a truck parked in the 2200 block of Lincoln Drive in Arnold but failed after the victims confronted him, chased him and sprayed him with mace, Arnold Police report.
At 11:42 p.m. Sept. 6, Arnold Police got a call that the man who owns the truck confronted the suspect after finding him inside his truck, trying to steal it. The suspect allegedly pulled a knife on the victim and told the victim he had a gun, the report said.
The victim’s mother also confronted the suspect and sprayed mace at him, hitting the back of his head. The suspect ran away, with the victim and his mother chasing after him, Arnold Police Detective Lt. James Jones said.
After running away, the suspect allegedly found a motorcycle in the area and as he was trying to start it, the victim and his mother caught up with him, and the mother sprayed him again with mace. The suspect ran away again, jumped a fence and allegedly got on a bicycle he found in the area and got away, Jones said.
Later, officers found the bike abandoned in a wooded area at the west end of Jackson Drive. Also, officers identified the man as the suspect, and the next day, on Sept. 7, he was arrested, Jones said.
A few weeks earlier, the victim had reported that someone stole a key to the truck, and after the Sept. 6 incident, the key was found inside it, Jones said.
The suspect was booked and released pending application for warrants. Arnold Police will seek tampering and stealing charges against him through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. As of today (Sept. 13) no charges had been filed, Jones said.