Four teens arrested in connection with theft of gun, pickup

Four teenage boys were arrested following an extended pursuit that involved several law enforcement agencies, authorities said.

The incident began at about 7 a.m. Monday when a 94-year-old man was contacted by a family member who told him his 1999 Ford F-150 had been stolen at about 2 a.m., Wichita police Lt. James Espinoza said. Also taken was a .22-caliber revolver.

The stolen pickup was spotted by Wichita police at 11:50 a.m. in the 1800 block of North Minnesota, Espinoza said, and a chase began. The pursuit was terminated in the area of Oliver and 29th Street North, according to Bel Aire police Lt. Robey Foxx.

Bel Aire Police Chief Darrell Atteberry spotted the stolen pickup in Bel Aire and another pursuit began that included a number of turns and went east on K-254 into Butler County, Foxx said. The teens spotted a Butler County sheriff’s deputy waiting to deploy spike strips, however, and used the median to turn around and head back west.

A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper deployed spike strips at K-254 and 127th Street East, Foxx said, and one tire of the F-150 was spiked. The pickup turned north on Greenwich and one of the four teens jumped out as the vehicle was still moving just south of 69th Street North.

He was quickly taken into custody by a highway patrol K-9 unit, Foxx said.

“The kid saw the dog and all the police cars and decided to give up,” Foxx said.

At 101st Street, a Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputy and a highway patrol trooper laid out two sets of spike strips spanning the entire roadway, Foxx said, and they deflated the remaining tires as the pickup passed.

“It was not an immediate deflation,” Foxx said, so the vehicle continued north to 103rd before the teens turned onto Third Street in Furley and went into the ditch.

All three teens still in the pickup – ages 14, 15 and 16 – were arrested. They have been booked into jail on suspicion of burglary and felony theft, Espinoza said. The 15-year-old was also booked on suspicion of a weapons violation.

Foxx said he did not have the age of the fourth teen arrested.

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Four teens arrested in connection with theft of gun, pickup."