A Georgia man was arrested after stealing a 75,000-pound frontloader from a waste management facility and taking police on a wild chase. He was finally caught after an employee of the facility tracked him down in another frontloader and used it to flip the suspect's vehicle, officials said. Eddie Sanchez, 38, was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing and reckless driving, among other charges, after police said he stole a frontloader from his former employer.
Officers from the Norcross Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol also assisted with the pursuit of the suspect and attempted to keep other drivers safe, although they did not have a vehicle large enough to stop the suspect in the frontloader. Other officers continued to pursue the suspect when the initial responding officer returned to the business to find another large construction vehicle heavy enough to stop the suspect.
The pursuing frontloader made contact with the suspect and ultimately got the green light from responding officers to flip the suspect's vehicle onto its side. The first frontloader was disabled on Singleton Road and Robin Hill Drive, located about five miles from where it was initially stolen from. Sanchez was charged with theft by taking, fleeing or attempting to elude, reckless driving, criminal damage to property in the second degree and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Police learned that Sanchez was fired from the business in September but visited the business several days before this incident and did something similar but never left the facility's property. No one was injured and no other vehicles or patrol cars were damaged during the pursuit.