During the afternoon of October 6, a vehicle was hijacked at gunpoint in Port Arthur.

At approximately 12:38 a.m. the next day, a Vidor Police Department officer patrolling eastbound Interstate 10 observed the same vehicle speeding over 120 mph.

The officer initiated a traffic stop, at which time the vehicle attempted to evade the officer and fled at a high rate of speed toward Louisiana.

The vehicle exited at mile marker 4 in Calcasieu Parish before crashing when it failed to negotiate a T-intersection at Toomey and Broussard Road.

“The suspects fled the vehicle while firing their weapons at the pursuing officer,” Vidor Police Chief Rod Carroll said. “The officer returned fire on the suspects. “No one was injured during the exchange of gunfire.”

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Vinton Police Department, Louisiana State Patrol, Vidor Police and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office set up a perimeter.

At approximately 9:35 a.m., several suspects were detained by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office as they attempted to leave the area in a family member’s vehicle.

Three people were arrested, ranging in age from 17 to 43 years old.

“These individuals are suspects in a series of robberies and carjackings in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana,” Carroll said at the time. “The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected. “The Vidor Police Department would like to thank all agencies that were involved in apprehending these dangerous criminals.”

Examples of similar violent crimes ensnaring the entire region and endangering countless local residents have caught the attention of the federal government, leading to the formation of an anti-vehicle theft task force that focuses on the crimes. violent in Southeast Texas and beyond.

Answer

“The Department of Justice has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do this by focusing on the most important drivers of violent crime and acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. “We are seeing results: violent crime is decreasing across the country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

“Today, we are launching seven new vehicle theft task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Tampa, where available data shows that vehicle theft rates Now they are falling.”

One of those task forces announced Thursday is the Eastern District of Texas, which includes Orange County.

“When prosecutors, officials, agents and analysts come together to analyze data, share intelligence and apply best practices, we can make real progress in combating all forms of violent crime, including vehicle theft,” Monaco said.

The newly formed task force in the Eastern District of Texas is led by Deputy Chief of Violent Crimes John B. Ross, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), along with law enforcement partners. comply with state and local law, including the Beaumont and Port Arthur police departments.

Members of this task force will come together to institute rapid exchange and immediate action procedures related to auto thefts, vehicle thefts, and the recovery of stolen or suspicious vehicles, as well as effective evidence collection and technology exploitation strategies.

The working groups will also collaborate on how to use federal sentencing enhancements in cases where adults use minors to commit carjackings, as well as work with state and local authorities to ensure proper handling of juvenile suspects.

The working groups will also assist state and local officials who wish to apply for Department of Justice grants for juvenile intervention and diversion resources.