A tense domestic dispute in Lakeside turned into a rolling rescue on Saturday when police used GPS data from a woman's phone to track a moving car and pull a mother and small child out of danger, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
How Officers Traced The Vehicle
Around 11:45 a.m., Lakeside officers were called in to help a neighboring agency after a 911 caller reported hearing a man screaming and "threatening to kill her," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Instead of chasing vague directions, officers turned to the GPS data from the woman's phone, using it to follow the car's real-time movements and guide units to intercept the vehicle.
Officer’s Quick Action
Officer C. Thibodeaux eventually spotted a black Nissan Rogue. What he saw next erased any doubt that something was very wrong. A woman in the back left seat was hanging partway out of the window, frantically waving and screaming for help, according to the police account.
Thibodeaux moved in, stopped the car, and pulled the man's mother and a small child from the vehicle. The driver was taken into custody on the spot, with no pursuit reported. Felony warrants in the area are handled by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, according to the county.
Arrest And Charges
The driver, whose name authorities did not release after the arrest, now faces charges of aggravated assault causing serious injuries and unlawful restraint, and police say he already had multiple felony warrants out with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The department later took to social media to praise Officer Thibodeaux, calling his handling of the fast-moving incident an example of professionalism that helped bring a potentially deadly situation to a safe end.
Legal Note
In Texas, aggravated assault is a more serious form of assault that is elevated when it causes serious bodily injury or involves a deadly weapon. Unlawful restraint can be charged anywhere from a Class A misdemeanor to a felony, depending on the circumstances, under the Texas Penal Code and the code's chapter on kidnapping and unlawful restraint.
If prosecutors move forward with the new counts, the Tarrant County criminal courts will decide how the charges are filed and set any bail or arraignment schedule.
For now, the suspect remains in custody while investigators finish their work and send the case to prosecutors. Lakeside police are asking anyone with additional information to contact the department as the case winds its way through the local justice system.
