The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, along with other local agencies, made an arrest Saturday afternoon following a theft earlier in the day.
The county has been hit by a series of thefts in recent months.
Arrested Saturday and booked into Yuma County Jail was Jacob Henderson. He was charged with driving vehicle when license revoked as a habitual offender, third degree criminal trespass – agricultural land, theft – less than $50, and an out of county warrant arrest.
It was announced later this week by the YCSO that further investigation has tied Henderson as the suspect in several other burglaries that occurred in Yuma County, and now is facing additional charges. (The additional charges had not been listed on the YCSO website, yumacountysheriff.net, as of this posting.) He now is being held on $57,000 bond in the Yuma County Jail. The sheriff announced there are still several cases under investigation.
The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office was investigating a theft that happened on County Road E near Yuma, last Saturday, August 15, when everything started to fall into place.
At approximately 1 p.m. a black Lincoln Navigator was spotted by a civilian. The vehicle matched the description of the suspect vehicle.
Deputies responded to the area, located the vehicle and got behind it. Upon activating their emergency lights, the vehicle failed to stop and began to try and elude the deputies. The attempt to flee was hindered by the Navigator pulling a trailer.
According to Sheriff Todd Combs’ report, the vehicle eventually attempted to evade the pursuit by driving into a field of standing corn. The Pioneer later learned the location was about five miles southeast of Yuma.
The vehicle made it about 130 yards into the corn field before betting stuck.
Law enforcement set up a perimeter, assisted by the Yuma Fire Department. A local pilot also provided air surveillance for the ground units.
A tracking team entered the field at 3 p.m. At approximately 4 p.m., a male individual, who was the driver, exited the field and surrendered. Combs’ report states that an unidentified female who also fled the vehicle “was left in the cornfield.”
Combs later told the Pioneer that the female refused to leave the corn field, and is not being charged, so she was left there. The YCSO later announced later this this week that it appears she made it out of the corn field.
Combs did comment in his release that an incident like this is why Yuma County is a great place to live.
“The county’s first line of defense is our citizens, as our eyes and ears, you are invaluable. Thanks to the pilot who came out and provided overhead watch, communication assistance, and directions during the tracking team’s time in the pivot.”
The sheriff thanked the Yuma Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, Yuma Volunteer Fire Department, his own office and the citizens of Yuma County. He again thanked the YVFD for once again responding to his call for assistance.
“We all worked together to affect the arrest of a thief that has been plaguing our county,” Combs wrote.
