Five vehicles authorities linked to thefts originating in the Phoenix area were recovered across southeastern Arizona, including three in Tombstone. The investigation also led to three people being booked into jail.
According to AZ Family, authorities tried to stop a reported stolen BMW X5 that was traveling eastbound on Highway 80 near Middlemarch Road. Instead of pulling over, the driver fled, leading officers on a pursuit that continued into the town of Tombstone.
The BMW rolled twice and came to rest on its roof at the intersection of Sumner and Safford streets, the outlet reported. The driver and passenger left the wreck and ran; officers arrested the passenger at the scene.
Additional Vehicles Found in Tombstone
Investigators later found the driver hiding behind a nearby Circle K, according to AZ Family. In the store parking lot, they also found another vehicle connected to the case, with a third person inside.
That discovery brought the number of vehicles authorities linked to Phoenix-area thefts to five, the outlet reported.
Recovery Locations Across Southeastern Arizona
Three of the five vehicles were recovered in Tombstone itself, while investigators tracked one more down near Saint David and another near Tucson, according to the outlet's reporting. The spread of locations suggests the stolen vehicles had been moved well beyond where they were originally taken.
The Tombstone Marshal's Office, Cochise County Sheriff's Office and Benson Police worked together to locate the other vehicles, the outlet reported. The sheriff's office also assisted with the crash investigation.
What Statewide Theft Data Can Show
The Arizona Department of Public Safety says its Vehicle Theft Task Force recovered 1,635 stolen vehicles in 2019, including 136 repatriated stolen vehicles from Mexico, with an estimated value of more than $23.7 million. That historical task-force figure is not county-level data, so it cannot show how Phoenix-area counties compare with Cochise County or explain this case.
Three Booked, Identities Withheld
Three people were booked into the Cochise County Sheriff's Office jail in connection with the case. Authorities have not released the names or ages of any of the three, leaving key details of the case still under wraps for now.
