Arrests made after Glendale Police squad car was briefly stolen during immigration protest
Arrests made in Glendale immigration protests
The Glendale Police Department release footage from the Feb. 2 immigration enforcement protest when a suspect jumped into one of its police cars and drove off. The person ditched the car not long after taking it. Three people have been arrested. Two are underage, and a second is 20-years-old.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Glendale Police officials have provided an update to an incident where a squad vehicle was briefly stolen during an immigration protest earlier in the month.
Big picture view:
The incident happened during a protest on Feb. 2 in the area of 67th Avenue and Camelback. At one point, about 1,000 people gathered in the area.
Per a statement released on Feb. 29, Glendale Police said a patrol car was stolen during the protest. Surveillance video released by police show a number of people jumping onto police vehicles, with one of them stomping on a patrol vehicle's windshield.
As for the stolen police vehicle, it was driven for a short distance before the driver bailed.
Suspects identified by police
Police have identified three people who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the patrol car theft, along with what officials say were the "smashing in of the windows and the street takeover" that also took place.
What we know:
Glendale Police officials have identified the suspects as two 16-year-old men and a 20-year-old man.
The two 16-year-olds are accused of vehicle theft, burglary, and rioting, while the 20-year-old is accused of multiple offenses, including reckless driving, speeding, and driver's license-related offenses.
Investigators detailed what they did to make the aforementioned arrests.
What they're saying:
"When these crimes took place, our cameras and members of the Real Time Crime Center were able to pinpoint these individuals. From there, officers were able to find social media posts and accounts associated with the individuals. We were then able to surveil them until we could move in with search warrants and not only question and apprehend them, but our officers were able to gather the evidence necessary to link them to the crimes they are associated with on that evening," read a portion of the statement.
What we don't know:
Police did not identify any of the three suspects, stating the department didn't want to jeopardize the case.