Chambers County Sheriff arrest suspects in Orange County theft

Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne reported that deputies were dispatched to IH-10 near FM 1410 for a possible theft in progress on May 20 at approximately 7:40 a.m., when a TxDOT worker observed a suspicious vehicle towing a flat bed trailer with a welder/generator near their property.

Deputies quickly located a Chevrolet pickup truck and trailer and a traffic stop was initiated. The driver, later identified as Sherees Franklin, 40, from Texas City, failed to stop and fled from deputies and Texas DPS State Troopers. A tire deflation device was successfully deployed and Franklin was taken into custody. 

Additional deputies along IH-10 near FM 1410 in Winnie located a stolen box trailer and arrested William Day, 21, from Hitchcock, for being in possession of the stolen trailer.

Deputies also located a stolen mini-excavator in the woods on IH-10 near FM 1410 and silver box trailer near Liberty Wallisville Road. An investigation revealed that the pickup truck, flat bed trailer, two box trailers, generator and excavator had all just been stolen from businesses in Orange. 

The stolen items were recovered and released back to their rightful owners, Hawthorne advised. 

Franklin was arrested for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest with a motor vehicle and felony theft of property. Day was arrested for felony theft of property.