Multi-county cooperation leads to suspected thief’s arrest
Indian River County, Fl (treasurecoast.com)- Deputies with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office were notified of a suspected car part thief who was traveling into Indian River County. Detectives from the Marin and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Offices coordinated the surveillance of a subject believed to have been burglarizing vehicles across the Treasure Coast.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Christopher Hoover, of Okeechobee, was arrested by Indian River County Detectives in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 28, 2021, after they watched him steal seats from a Ford Ranger at an auto repair shop in Vero Beach.
The case started in Martin County, where authorities there conducted surveillance on Hoover and identified him as a suspect in a series of car parts thefts. Martin County’s aviation team tracked Hoover into St. Lucie County, where St. Lucie authorities got involved.
Martin’s helicopter continued to track Hoover northbound on US 1 into Indian River County. Our agency picked up the track at the county line while Martin kept following in the air.
During the tracking, Martin’s helicopter had to return. Indian River County’s helicopter was deployed and tracked him continuing through Indian River and into Brevard, where Hoover ultimately made a U-turn and proceeded back into Indian River.
Hoover, driving a green Ford Ranger, was spotted pulling into an auto repair business in the 2500 block of US 1. He pulled near another Ford Ranger and got out of his truck. From the sky, our deputies watched as he removed the seats from the victim’s Ford Ranger and moved them to his truck. When he started removing his own seats, our ground crew initiated the arrest.
“He apparently needed new seats,” said Sgt. Chris Reeve.
Hoover faces charges in Indian River County that include burglary, possession of burglary tools, theft, and driving with a suspended/revoked license. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation into Hoover and the car parts thefts. More charges could be forthcoming from other agencies.
“If not for them, we wouldn’t have got this guy,” Sgt. Reeve said of the assistance from Martin and St. Lucie’s Sheriff’s Offices.
Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers credited Martin County Sheriff William Snyder with encouraging our agency to establish a Real Time Crime Center, which will help solve similar cases in the future.
Florida Rep. John Snyder, is introducing legislation to enhance penalties for those who cross county lines to commit vehicle-specific crimes.
Sheriff Flowers said he supports such measures and hopes the law would deter criminals from coming into Indian River County.
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