Deputy’s Keen Instinct Leads to Arrest of Suspected Car Thief
“There is no substitute for the gut instinct of a skilled police officer.” Deputy Lazaro Valdes showed us just what that means last Friday as he was gassing up his patrol car.
Deputy Valdes saw a blue Oldsmobile Cutlass with an Ohio tag on it nearby. A man was sitting behind the wheel. The man started to get out of the car, made eye contact with Deputy Valdes, hesitated and then got out, walking into the store.
Deputy Valdes waited until the man came out of the store and watched him. Instead of returning to the car, the man walked toward a bike rack and removed a red bicycle from the rack.
The deputy approached him the man, identified as 48 year old Douglas Bondie, who then dropped the bike on the ground. Deputy Valdes asked him if it was his bike. Bondie responded, “What bike?”
The deputy asked Bondie to walk over to the blue Cutlass with him. Bondie told the deputy it wasn’t his car. When Deputy Valdes told Bondie he’d seen him behind the wheel, Bondie began to argue with him and then abruptly took off, running south on U.S. One.
Deputy Daryl Walraven was in the vicinity and heard Deputy Valdes’ call for help on the radio. Deputy Walraven spotted Bondie as he ran down Diamond Drive. Walraven followed him down the street until Bondie finally stopped and was taken into custody.
A check on the car’s license tag revealed it had been reported stolen from Lisbon, Florida on July 24th. Bondie was taken to jail, charged with grand theft and resisting arrest.
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Note: Please remember all suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
Yes a very alert deputy and also a very stupid car thief. But is great that we have cops that are watching for stupid idiots. Had the man just waited a few minutes the cop might not have ran the plate. Great job and he deserves credit.