Cameras, Helicopters Lead Police To Stolen Van

FREMONT, CA — Fremont police used technology and aerial support to help officers track a stolen van and apprehend its driver, officials announced Monday.

The Fremont Police Department said a license plate reader flagged the stolen vehicle around 4 p.m. on March 28, driving near Fremont Boulevard and Washington Boulevard. Detectives used the city's community camera system to monitor the van's travel and develop descriptions of the driver and passenger inside.

Patrol officers spotted the van driving on Fremont Boulevard and said the driver fled before they could attempt a traffic stop. Police said the van was found abandoned on a nearby residential road. A helicopter from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office helped units on the ground find a person hiding in a backyard, which police identified as the van's passenger.

Police said an alert neighbor told a patrol officer of another suspicious person in a nearby business who was watching the officers and asking people for a ride. Investigators arrested the man, a 37-year-old Oakland resident, whom they allege was driving the stolen van.

The passenger was released at the scene, and the alleged driver was jailed on suspicion of stealing the van.

"We want to thank the Alameda County Sheriff's Office Air Unit for their help in locating the suspects," the Fremont Police Department said Monday. "Additionally, we want to thank the community for their assistance in reporting suspicious activity.'