Vacaville police used their high-tech toolbox and a four-legged partner yesterday to track down a 21-year-old man after a pre-dawn scare near the on-ramp to southbound I-505. Officers say the man tossed a firearm onto the roof of a storage building, tried to disappear into nearby bushes, and was ultimately found with help from a drone and K9 support before being taken into custody on multiple felony firearm-related charges.
Pre-dawn 911 calls and an infrared hunt
Just after 3 a.m., dispatchers started getting calls about a man with a gun physically chasing another person in the 300 block of Crocker Drive. A responding officer later spotted a white Chrysler 200 driving without headlights and slowing to the shoulder of the I-505 on-ramp, according to the Vacaville Police Department.
The officer launched a drone equipped with infrared technology, which picked up the suspect hiding behind bushes near a nearby storage complex, police said. Guided by the live aerial feed, K9 Rooster and other units moved in. Officers reported that the man followed commands and was taken into custody without any injuries.
City’s tech tools give officers a head start
Vacaville has invested in a Real-Time Information Center and rooftop drone capability designed to give officers a faster, clearer picture of what they are walking into during unfolding incidents. City and police officials say the setup allows responders to “see an incident before officers arrive,” as recently outlined by Police1.
Loaded ghost gun and 31-round magazine recovered
Vacaville Police and Vacaville Fire personnel later located a loaded, unserialized handgun and a 31-round magazine on the roof of one of the storage buildings, according to police. Suisun City officers then found an unoccupied white Chrysler 200 registered to the suspect, the department said.
The man was identified as 21-year-old Andrew Carlisyoung of Suisun City and booked into Solano County Jail on several felony firearm-related charges, according to the Vacaville Police Department. Investigators say they are still working to determine who was actually behind the wheel of the Chrysler and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Case closes without injuries, but not without questions
Police say the arrest wrapped up without injuries and credited the mix of drone surveillance and K9 response for the quick resolution near the busy freeway on-ramp. Residents who may have dash-cam or other video from the Crocker Drive area or the I-505 on-ramp around 3 a.m. are asked to contact the Vacaville Police Department.
