Beaumont, TX : High-speed chase ends in crash near I-10 on Wednesday December 9 2015
International students living near the Lamar University campus say early morning crimes have become routine at their apartment building on Natalie Street.
The complex, which houses about two dozen students from India, was the scene of a Wednesday morning burglary that spilled over into a high-speed chase between Beaumont police officers and the suspects.
The chase, which reached speeds up to 100 mph, ended when the car driven by one of the suspects hit a telephone pole on the Interstate 10 feeder road between College Street and Washington Boulevard.
Most of the apartment robberies happen between 3 and 5 a.m., when residents are sleeping, said one 25-year-old Lamar senior who lives at the complex.
The man said he has noticed increased police presence, but said the crimes continue every few days.
BPD records show 21 calls this year to residences on Natalie Street, which is just outside the patrol area for the Lamar University Police Department. Of those calls, 15 have been since August.
Just before 5 a.m. Wednesday, an apartment resident noticed his neighbor's Lexus leave the parking lot.
The car's owner, who was not behind the wheel, reported the car stolen two hours later.
By noon, the car was wrapped around a utility pole near Interstate 10.
Beaumont Police Officer Joe Ornelas said the burglars entered the car owner's residence around 4:30 a.m. through a kitchen window, then stole a cellphone, car keys and then the Lexus.
A BPD officer patrolling near Major Drive and Delaware spotted the car around 11 a.m. and tried to stop the driver. When the driver accelerated instead of stopping, the officer chased him.
Source:
High-speed chase ends in crash near I-10