Two individuals have been placed under arrest after a stolen vehicle was spotted in south Rapid City.
At around 11:50 a.m. on April 30th, police were dispatched to 251 E. Stumer Road for a report of a stolen pickup that was spotted at the address. As police were en-route to the location, dispatch was advised of a confrontation that had also occurred at the address, with several individuals seen running from the location. A perimeter was formed around the area, and police located both occupants of the stolen vehicle.
After speaking with witnesses, police determined that an associate of the pickup’s owner had spotted the vehicle parked at a gas pump at the address. The pickup owner, along with several associates, arrived on scene to confront the occupants of the stolen vehicle. The suspect driver, later identified as 28-year-old Jake Hand of Pine Ridge, attempted to drive away from the location, but had been boxed in by two other vehicles driven by the pickup owner’s associates. Hand rammed the two vehicles boxing him in, but was unsuccessful in fleeing in the pickup. Hand and the second occupant, identified as 26-year-old Cody Brown of Pine Ridge, exited the vehicle and ran from the scene. They were followed by the pickup owner/associates.
At one point, as police were converging on the area, Hand had entered a residential garage in the 4800 block of South Point Place and attempted to steal another vehicle. He was unsuccessful, and police located Hand in the 4600 block of Parkview Drive. Thanks to witness information, Brown was located hiding on a restroom at 100 Stumer road. Both were taken into custody.
Hand was placed under arrest for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Second Degree Burglary, Grant Theft, and First Degree Vandalism. Brown was placed under arrest for an existing Warrant for parole violation. Brown was on parole for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unauthorized Ingestion of a Controlled Substance.
“While confronting a criminal suspect is never advisable, being a good witness is,” says Captain James Johns of the RCPD’s Patrol Division. “Witness information is what helped us locate and apprehend these individuals, and we’re thankful to work for a community that is ready and willing to help us as we work to hold criminal offenders accountable in our city.”
Both Hand and Brown were placed in the custody of the Pennington County Jail. Police continue to investigate the incident.
