Police Hunt Leads Suspect to Drop Nearly $1 Million on the Highway
Suspects California suddenly stopped in the middle of a police hunt, dropping two boxes full of cash totaling nearly $1 million on the side of the road before a police officer, together with his K9 partner, Beny, apprehended them.
The incident happened on May 1 when, in the late afternoon, a police officer noticed some utility vehicles, three to be exact, appeared to be on a road trip together, on Interstate 5 located in Merced County, California.
The officer reportedly saw the suspects commit traffic violations before he attempted to stop one of them. However, when the vehicle he was trying to pull over was unsuccessful in yielding and fleeing the scene, the police officer started the chase.
Attempt to Block the Chase
When the police officer started to chase the suspect who was driving the vehicle, specifically, a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban, one of the other cars, a black Ford Expedition, in particular, tried to block the police hunt.
The driver straddled the lanes so he could help the accomplish escape. The police successfully manipulated around the Expedition, which, for its part, turned around and escaped the since in the opposite direction.
After this, the officer started to pursue the Chevrolet, only to find something unusual once they reached the vehicle.
In a statement it issued through social media, the Merced County's California Highway Patrol (CHP) said, at one point while they were hunting the suspects, the Chevrolet driver stopped "on the right shoulder," exiting the SUV and dropping the two boxes mentioned earlier.
Shortly after they dropped the boxes, the officers said, the Chevrolet suburban driver suddenly stopped the vehicle and eventually surrendered.
The Officers' Shocking Discovery
As the officer was arresting one of the suspects, the first, he said, they noticed a third vehicle, specifically a 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe, stopped in traffic near them.
The apprehending officer was able to stop this third vehicle and managed to arrest the driver of that particular SUV, as well as the Suburban driver, and the Chevrolet Tahoe under custody.
During that particular instance, the Merced Communications Centers received several calls from the 911 about the "cardboard boxes" being "dropped off on the shoulder," the CHP said.
To respond to the calls, the officers retrieved the cardboard boxes reported to them. Then, inside those boxes, they found US currency amounting to approximately $915,000.
Beny, the K9 partner of the officer, was able to alert authorities to the narcotics' odor on the currency. More so, it was discovered later on, that suspects were down the road driving towards northern California to buy marijuana.
Afterward, the police officers discovered walkie talkie units inside the vehicles of the suspect, and later on, they found that the three drivers used the devices as their means of communication while being hunted.
Even though the suspects were already arrested, charges to the offense remain pending. Meanwhile, according to Merced County's CHP after the occurrence, Beny, the partner K9 of the chasing officer, is getting all the glory in these types of occasions.
However, the CHP continued; it is its handler who certainly deserves all the credits at the moment. Great job and a fantastic team are two of the best descriptions the officers are being given now.
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