COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Two suspects were taken into a custody Friday afternoon after a pursuit involving a reported stolen vehicle.
The Branch County Sheriff’s Department pulled over a 2016 Toyota Tacoma near U.S. 12 and Michigan Avenue in Coldwater as the City of Coldwater’s new Automated License Plate Readers triggered an alert when a stolen vehicle passed by one of their cameras at about 1:53 p.m.. The vehicle fled the scene when Deputies attempted to stop it. Deputies gave chase with speeds over 100 MPH and apprehended two people when the suspect vehicle drove into a field near Nash and Garfield Roads, west of Coldwater.
The 40-year-old male driver from Indiana was arrested for Fleeing and Eluding, Resisting and Obstructing, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Possession of Methamphetamine, and warrants from Branch County and Lagrange County, Indiana. The 30-year-old female passenger from Bronson was arrested for Resisting and Obstructing Police. Both were lodged at the Branch County Jail. This incident remains under investigation. Names are being withheld until after their arraignments.
The Coldwater Police Department says they have been working to get the cameras installed since the City Council approved the purchase in July, 2023. The City had to obtain permits from MDOT to install the cameras along U.S. 12 which took several months. Coldwater Director of Public Safety Joe Scheid says the cameras were installed last week and the police department has been configuring and testing the system.
When a vehicle drives past the readers, the license plate is scanned through a nationwide law enforcement database to identify stolen plates, stolen vehicles, wanted fugitives, missing persons and missing children. If the system identifies a vehicle matching those criteria, it sends an alert to police and to Branch County Central Dispatch. Dispatch staff then broadcast the information contained in the alert to all area law enforcement agencies.
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