Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol worked to locate a stolen vehicle and suspect Wednesday.
According to BCSO, on Wednesday at 8:50 a.m. a KPD officer observed a stolen vehicle near the Ramada Inn in Kearney. The same vehicle was seen on 11th street and 2nd Avenue. The stolen vehicle was a 2014 GMC pickup, reported stolen from Sarpy County. Law enforcement utilized the FLOCK Safety Automated License Plate Reader system and were able to locate the vehicle where it was traveling.
After some short time, a Buffalo County Sheriff’s unit spotted the stolen vehicle on Highway 30 near Eagle Rd. A second deputy requested assistance near Dunbar Rd. Before a traffic stop could be attempted, the stolen vehicle had turned off of Highway 30 and was found abandoned on Cessna Rd near 39th Rd. It appeared the driver fled on foot into a nearby cornfield.
At about 5:45 p.m. the Nebraska State Patrol apprehended the suspect.
The suspect driver was later identified as Christian Randels, 18, of Firth, NE. Randels was arrested for theft by receiving stolen property, willful reckless driving and obstructing a peace officer. He was lodged in Buffalo County Jail.
Deputies were assisted at the scene by members of the Kearney Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol. The search by the agencies included the use of UAV drones, police service dog K-9s and an NSP fixed wing aircraft. Residents in the area were notified.
