A pair of allegedly drug-addled Illinois car theft suspects led police on a wild pursuit before being apprehended.
And they were subdued by two separate armed homeowners who held them at gunpoint until law enforcement made it to the scene to arrest them.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, it was Jan. 23 when deputies arrested the two suspects. James Snow, 34, and Tyler Crum, 33, took officers on a dangerous pursuit that was only ended when the two homeowners intervened.
Authorities report that it was just before 5:30 p.m. when deputies were called to Casey’s General Store in Argenta. The citizen reported a suspicious car in the parking lot.
Upon investigating, deputies determined that the vehicle was previously reported stolen to the Decatur Police Department. Knowing this, they confronted the two men inside the car.
Officers said the driver was Crum, and he immediately attempted to flee the scene. In the process of the escape he struck the police car with the stolen vehicle, according to the sheriff’s report.
Deputies soon lost sight of the suspects as they fled.
Other law enforcement agencies converged on the area to assist in the search for the two suspects, and the stolen vehicle was soon located abandoned in a field. There was no sign of Crum and Snow when the police arrived.
The pair apparently planned to hole up in a nearby home, but armed good guys ended that scheme.
According to the sheriff’s office press release, “Deputies received a report that the males were outside a nearby residence seeking refuge but were met with the homeowner armed with a weapon. One of the males was apprehended & taken into custody by law enforcement at this location.”
Suspect number two saw the situation unfold and ran from that home. He did not run far enough, however, as he was soon apprehended by a second homeowner who was also smart enough to be armed. The sheriff’s office explained how the second suspect was taken into custody.
“The other male had fled to another nearby residence before being met by that homeowner. The second suspect was intercepted by the homeowner armed with a firearm. The vigilant homeowner effectively held the offender at gunpoint, promptly calling 911. This male was also apprehended & taken into custody by law enforcement at the second location. We commend the homeowner for properly utilizing firearm training and assisting law enforcement.”
It should be noted that besides assisting officers, the homeowners also protected themselves and anyone else in their homes from possible criminal violence.
The police report revealed that Crum admitted the two suspects did heroin in an Arby’s bathroom in Decatur, which is roughly 15 miles from Argenta. This was before the police chase and their subsequent arrests.
Crum said after consuming the heroin, the pair stole a black Chevy Malibu that the driver had left idling in the store’s parking lot. Their plan was to drive to Heyworth, but they got lost — possibly from the effects of drug use.
It was then they pulled into the parking lot of the general store and the deputies were called to investigate.
Crum laid some blame on his passenger for the attempted escape. He reported that Snow said, “Just go dude” when they spotted the official vehicles. This was when they collided with the deputy’s car and fled.
Both face numerous felony charges.
A twist in the case came when Crum was released almost immediately after being arrested. This was due to the contentious new Illinois law that eliminated cash bail out of “fairness” to suspects.
Snow was held in custody for an outstanding parole violation warrant.
The moral of the story is clear. Two level-headed homeowners apprehended a pair of suspects and ended an allegedly drug-fueled crime spree. They did not need to fire their weapons, as the mere presence of the guns was enough to do the job.
