HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — New technology is helping authorities enforce the law in many ways.
One of the newest ways is by using drones.
On Saturday, a Harris County Precinct 5 deputy attempted to pull over a stolen car in the 19900 block of FM 529, but the driver refused to stop. The short chase came to an end in the 7100 block of Fry Road, where three occupants of the car bailed on foot.
One was caught within minutes, but two suspects eluded deputies for a while.
That's when the deputies brought out the drone, which is equipped with thermal imaging capabilities.
The drone was deployed to search the residential area near the end of the chase.
After about 40 minutes of searching, the drone located two people hiding behind a backyard fence in the 20700 block of Tealbrook Drive.
K-9 units entered the backyard and found the suspects. They were arrested without further incident.
The three juvenile suspects (two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old) were arrested on evading charges. The driver was also charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Precinct 5 put two new drones in service last year. The drones have helped the department track down fleeing suspects, locate children lost in Precinct 5 parks, and use aerial videos and photographs to investigate crash scenes.