Philadelphia police arrested four suspects who they say jumped into a pond near the Philadelphia International Airport while fleeing officers. NBC10’s Brian Sheehan has the details.
A multi-agency police pursuit ended near Philadelphia International Airport with police searching nearby water for the people seen hopping out of a disabled stolen SUV.
On Wednesday, April 2, at 11:55 p.m., Upper Darby Township Police responded to a reported theft from a vehicle in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby. When they arrived, police were met by Keith Haury who told them he confronted two men inside of his truck. The suspects -- who were captured on video – stole Haury’s wallet, a ballistic vest and a key to his workplace from the vehicle, investigators said.
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WATCH HEREThe two men then fled the scene in a silver SUV.
"I ran after them," Haury told NBC10. "Didn't catch them. Lucky for them I didn't catch them."
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SIGN UP After looking at the surveillance video of the suspects, police determined that a silver Kia Sportage that had been stolen earlier that day in Camden County, New Jersey, had entered Upper Darby shortly before Haury’s items were stolen. As the investigation continued, Upper Darby Police spotted the stolen Kia along the 300 block of East Township Line Road, according to the criminal complaint.
Police pursued the vehicle before losing sight of it in the area of Lancaster and Woodbine avenues in Philadelphia, investigators said. About 20 minutes later, police spotted the vehicle on Route 420 in Prosect Park, Delaware County. After Prospect Park Police found the Kia unoccupied, a black Dodge Durango nearby was stolen, according to the criminal complaint.
Springfield Township Police then found the Durango, leading to another chase from Route 420 onto I-95 North. The Durango then exited at Exit 10 near Philadelphia International Airport. Four people inside the Durango then bailed out of the vehicle and jumped into a nearby pond, police said. When the suspects reached land on Tinicum Island Road, they were captured by police, according to the criminal complaint.
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“Three are caught immediately and one goes into the water, which, half hour later, he’s taken into custody,” Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said. “So, all four are taken into custody in Tinicum by assisting departments.”
Police said they found Haury’s stolen wallet and keys inside the Kia as well as his ballistic vest inside the Durango. Haury told NBC10 he was glad most of his items were found but he still felt frustrated and violated over what happened. He had a message for the suspects.
“Get a job. Like, just get a job. Don’t be ransacking people’s stuff,” he said.
Police identified two of the suspects as 18-year-old Bryan de la Cruz-Reyes and 18-year-old Alvaro Rivera, both of Camden, New Jersey. Police believe the group could be linked to other burglaries in the area.
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