BEAUMONT, Texas — Officers and deputies in Hardin County are continuing to search for one man after police in Beaumont were led on one of two chases early Thursday morning.
Six suspects are in police custody. The youngest who is sixteen, is being held at the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Justice Center. Detective Jared Dupre with the auto-theft task force told 12News the men are connected to at least 50 other cases, including auto-burglaries and thefts. Their crimes date back to early 2018.
Two adults, Joesph Yarborough, 19 and Corde St. Jules, 17, both of Houston, were arrested in Orange along with a 16-year-old male according to police.
Ricky Tatum, 25, Amari Alexander, 18 and Kevin Scales, all of Houston, were caught after a search in Hardin County.
Tatum is on parole and Alexander is on probation, both for burglary of a habitation, according to police.
Beaumont Police officer Haley Morrow said a 911 caller just after 4:15 a.m. Thursday told police that they saw at least six men breaking into the AT&T store at 4460 Dowlen Road. The caller gave a description of the two vehicles used by the men. Police were able to locate the vehicles near Park North Drive and Eastex Freeway. Morrow said both vehicles fled north toward Hardin County, where officers alerted Hardin County deputies and the Lumberton Police Department of their pursuit.
Morrow said one vehicle of suspects lost control in a grassy median in the 1500 block of Highway 69 South in Lumberton. The four suspects fled on foot, leading Hardin County Deputies and Lumberton PD on a pursuit that lasted several hours in the area of Pecan Lane south toward Keith Road. The men attempted to steal a vehicle in the area while evading police, Morrow said. Three of the suspects were eventually arrested and brought in.
Several law enforcement agencies joined in the search, including a canine unit and a Jefferson County Sheriff's Office helicopter search.
A bomb threat was called in to Lumberton Priamry School after 11 a.m. forcing the school to be evacuated as a precaution though officials say the threat could be a diversion related to the last man being sought south of Lumberton. The students were relocated, but police found nothing.
Morrow said the other suspects in a second vehicle continued on to Kountze, down to Sour Lake, back into Beaumont, and eventually into Orange on I10 where the vehicle spun out. That's where police arrested the three others, including the minor involved.
"These people are committing a lot of crimes and they are very arrogant about it, the suspects sat up there talking about how they're just going to get out and laughing about it, and that they make more money than the police do," said Morrow.
Detective Dupre said the men are involved in numerous other cases, and connected to several other suspects in the county jail and on the streets.
"We know that several suspects in custody today have spoken to us about previous cases so that's way we can tie them in, we also currently have numerous cell phones and other evidence that we're getting warrants on that will connect them also," said Dupre.
The remaining suspect is believed to be a black male, potentially in muddy clothing and barefoot.
Residents in the area who see the man or anything suspicious should call 911.
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Officers spotted and attempted to stop the two vehicles believed to be involved just north of Parkdale Mall at Park North Drive and U.S. Highway 69 police said.
Both vehicles fled from police heading north into Hardin County according to police.
One of the fleeing vehicles in the median of the 1500 block of U.S. 69 South in Lumberton and four men fled from the vehicle on foot.
The other vehicle continued to lead police on a chase for what police describe as a "lengthy time" passing through Kountze to Sour Lake, back into Jefferson County and then onto Interstate 10 east the release said.
The second vehicle, carrying two adults and a juvenile, continued to Orange where the driver lost control and the three fled but were apprehended police said.
Police say that both vehicles are believed to have been stolen from somewhere in Harris County.
If you have information about this crime you could earn a cash reward of up to $1000 by providing an ANONYMOUS tip to Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas.
Call 833-TIPS (8477) or text “BMT” followed by your tip information to CRIMES (274637) from your mobile phone.
Beaumont Police say they are very appreciative of the person who "saw something and said something" as well as the other law enforcement agencies that are assisting them.