ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas — A suspect who was seen by a property owner banging on the security cameras with a hammer has been detained after a short pursuit with law enforcement, according to officials.
The Atascosa County Sheriff's Office says that a call came in for a disturbance at Texas 16 & Oak Creek Estates Road just north of Poteet around noon on Sunday.
The farm owner said he saw the man hitting a security camera with a hammer at his farm. When the owner approached him, the suspect fled in a stolen truck.
A deputy responding to the call saw the truck southbound near Spence and Rutledge Roads and tried to stop the driver and a pursuit occurred.
The driver bailed out of the truck on E. Gates Valley Road and then fled on foot.
The passenger was detained by sheriff's deputies and when other units arrived, police said they found the driver in the brush and arrested him.
Investigators said they determined that the pair had already stolen two cameras before hitting a third one with an axe.
The driver was identified as James Allen Howard and police said he is being charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm and theft. Charges for the passenger are pending, according to police.
This investigation remains ongoing.
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