BUFFALO, N.Y. — Two adults and a juvenile were arrested Thursday following an effort to recover a stolen vehicle in the City of Buffalo.
The sequence of events began when Buffalo Police officers spotted an Alpha Romeo SUV, reported as stolen out of West Seneca, in the area of East Delevan Avenue and Eggert Road. At that point, police requested air assistance.
That's when the Air 1 helicopter, which was on a routine training flight over the city, joined the effort.
"Air 1 utilized onboard mission equipment to establish visual contact and track the vehicle," the Erie County Sheriff's Office said Friday in a statement, announcing details of the arrests.
The helicopter followed the Alpha Romeo SUV to a parking lot off Ellicott Street, where the people exited the vehicle, then jumped into a Honda Civic, which was reported as stolen in the City of Buffalo. Air 1 continued to observe the vehicle until it entered a parking lot on West Delavan Avenue.
There, three people fled the vehicle and were eventually arrested. Two 19-year-olds were taken into custody in the parking lot, while a 16-year-old was found in a yard on Lafayette Avenue using thermal imager on Air 1.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office posted video of the pursuit on its Facebook page.
Alexander Wilson, 19, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny, unauthorized use of a vehicle, false personation, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Abreia Tucker, 19, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
The juvenile has been charged with criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and criminal possession of stolen property.
“Air 1 is a critical asset to assist Buffalo Police patrol in safely dealing with the current statewide issue of stolen cars,” Buffalo Police Chief of Detectives W. Craig Macy said.
Added Erie County Sheriff John Garcia: “It is more critical than ever for law enforcement agencies to work together. As this case demonstrates, our Aviation Unit is second to none. We welcome requests for their assistance from our partners.”