Calif. Police Use Drone to Help Rescue Hostage, Nab Suspects

March 25, 2024
Tracy police deployed a BearCat armored vehicle and a drone when they responded to a report of a kidnapping victim being held hostage at gunpoint by two people at a home.

Officers with the Tracy Police Department arrested two East Bay men on kidnapping charges on Friday,  after using a drone and armored vehicle to aid in their capture.

A reported hostage was rescued and treated for minor injuries by private medics and firefighters from the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority.

Around 4:45 p.m. Friday, police responded to a call of a hostage being held at gunpoint in a home in the 1500 block of Lankershire Drive. Patrol officers, detectives and special-investigations unit personnel surrounded the residence and deployed a BearCat Armored Recovery Vehicle.

The police set aloft an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, to gather information on the situation. The drone observed one of the suspects fleeing from the back of the residence, police say. The person was immediately caught and identified as a 26-year-old from Livermore.

Two other people then surrendered to police at the front of the residence — the reported kidnapping victim and a 24-year-old from Oakland.

The two suspects are facing charges that include kidnapping, rape by force/fear, possession of methamphetamine and assault with a deadly weapon.

The police department is asking for people with more information about the case to contact Detective Andrew Glover at 209-831-6607 ([email protected]) or Detective Lissette Ortiz at 209-831-6569 ([email protected]).

_____________

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc.

Visit at mercurynews.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sponsored Recommendations

Build Your Real-Time Crime Center

March 19, 2024
A checklist for success

Whitepaper: A New Paradigm in Digital Investigations

July 28, 2023
Modernize your agency’s approach to get ahead of the digital evidence challenge

A New Paradigm in Digital Investigations

June 6, 2023
Modernize your agency’s approach to get ahead of the digital evidence challenge.

Listen to Real-Time Emergency 911 Calls in the Field

Feb. 8, 2023
Discover advanced technology that allows officers in the field to listen to emergency calls from their vehicles in real time and immediately identify the precise location of the...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!