Police drone aids in capture of East Bay kidnapping suspects, hostage release
Officers with the Tracy Police Department arrested two East Bay men on kidnapping charges on Friday, March 22, after using a drone and armored vehicle to aid in their capture.
A reported hostage was rescued and treated for minor injuries by private medics and firefighters from the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority.
Around 4:45 p.m. Friday, police responded to a call of a hostage being held at gunpoint in a home in the 1500 block of Lankershire Drive. Patrol officers, detectives and special-investigations unit personnel surrounded the residence and deployed a BearCat Armored Recovery Vehicle.
The police set aloft an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, to gather information on the situation. The drone observed one of the suspects fleeing from the back of the residence, police say. The person was immediately caught and identified as a 26-year-old from Livermore.
Two other people then surrendered to police at the front of the residence — the reported kidnapping victim and a 24-year-old from Oakland.
The two suspects are facing charges that include kidnapping, rape by force/fear, possession of methamphetamine and assault with a deadly weapon.
The police department is asking for people with more information about the case to contact Detective Andrew Glover at 209-831-6607 (Andrew.Glover@TracyPD.com) or Detective Lissette Ortiz at 209-831-6569 (Lissette.Ortiz@TracyPD.com).