MESQUITE, Nev. — Two people face multiple felony theft and firearms possession charges after being arrested Dec. 5 by Mesquite police in connection with mail theft.
According to a news release from the Mesquite Police Department, Roger Theodore Jenkins, 55, of Pahrump, Nevada, and Lindsey Fay Sarac, 34, of Las Vegas, Nevada, were arrested after police obtained surveillance footage of a large flatbed truck they were reportedly driving.
Mesquite police, in concert with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, had been investigating several reports of mail theft from mailbox clusters, as well as personal information theft of the victims.
At approximately 5:45 p.m. Monday, a Mesquite officer observed the flatbed truck in the drive-through lane of a fast food restaurant, the news release said. A records check of the license plate showed the truck was stolen from Las Vegas.
Additional officers responded and attempted to stop the truck as it exited the drive-through, the news release said. The driver fled at a high rate of speed over a curb and landscaping, nearly striking two police cruisers as they turned on their lights and sirens.
“The officer that spotted the suspect vehicle was on his way home from working a long shift,” Police Chief MaQuade Chesley said in the news release.”He requested backup and all officers dropped what they were doing and responded directly to the area.”
As the driver fled onto Old Mill Road, he almost hit a young family riding their bikes on the sidewalk. Officers did not pursue due to safety concerns.
Another nearby officer located the two suspects running westbound on First South Street away from the abandoned truck. The female passenger had a handgun as she exited the truck and attempted to dispose of it as she ran, according to the news release. Officers contained the suspects and took them into custody and recovered the gun.
The female had in her possession numerous stolen credit cards and stolen identification cards. Detectives processed the stolen truck for evidence and recovered a loaded handgun magazine matching the handgun and several burglary tools.
Officers also obtained information that both suspects were wanted for questioning by USPIS for the robbery of a mail carrier at gunpoint in Henderson, Nevada, in November.
Jenkins was arrested and charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, felony evading and gross misdemeanor possession of burglary tools.
Sarac was arrested and charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, 10 felony counts of possession of a credit card without owner’s consent, two felony counts of possession of personal identification with intent to harm, felony possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and gross misdemeanor possession of burglary tools.
Further charges related to mail thefts are pending and will be added at the conclusion of the investigation in Mesquite and several other jurisdictions in Las Vegas, the news release said.
“I could not be more pleased with the exceptional effort coordinated by our officers and detectives to bring the violent offenders into custody,” Chesley said. “The level of commitment our officers demonstrate to our community through their relentless determination to solve crime is truly remarkable. As a police chief, there isn’t a better feeling than to see all the hard work and effort on a case pay off with the safe arrest of violent offenders.”