Fort Worth man arrested for car theft in Parker County, linked to crimes in Tarrant County
A 37-year-old Fort Worth man is in custody in Parker County after leading sheriff’s deputies there on a chase Tuesday when they tried to stop him while he was in a stolen 2014 Jeep Cherokee, a spokesperson for the Parker County Sheriff’s Office said.
Joseph Preston Smith III is being held on charges of felony theft, felony evading with a vehicle, felony evading on foot with a previous conviction, misdemeanor criminal mischief and an outstanding warrant for burglary of a habitation in Fort Worth, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith’s bond has not yet been set.
Authorities said Smith drove recklessly through residential yards and damaged property on Ranch Meadow Court in Aledo. He abandoned the vehicle in the 200 block of East Terrace Court and fled on foot to evade sheriff’s deputies.
Authorities distributed an alert and told residents they were looking for the suspect in the area, asking anybody who saw him to contact the sheriff’s office.
Stuard Elementary School was placed in “secure mode” as a precaution because the school was about three miles away from where Smith was last seen. Deputies were canvassing the area when they responded to a prowler call in the 1000 block of South Farm-to-Market 5. They were told a person matching the suspect’s description was seen looking into home windows and was last seen running south on that road.
Deputies found Smith hiding behind a vehicle parked at a home near the entrance of a housing addition. He ran again, jumping four fences and into a coastal field in the 900 block of South Farm-to-Market 5, where he was arrested, according to a sheriff’s department spokesperson.
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office worked with investigators in Tarrant County to link Smith to several vehicle burglaries in Tarrant County. Another stolen vehicle, this one taken from Tarrant County, was found on Aspen Court West. Authorities said Smith abandoned that vehicle before stealing the Jeep Cherokee.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending.