Stolen vehicle recovered after camera system alert

Bartholomew County officials say a camera system allowed them to recover a stolen vehicle and arrest the driver Thursday morning.

According to Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department reports, the county’s Flock camera system identified a reportedly stolen vehicle heading into Columbus from West Old Nashville Road at about 7:53 a.m. Thursday morning.

A deputy found the vehicle near 2nd and Jackson Streets and tried to pulled it over. After turning onto Brown Street the driver stopped. 18-year-old Antwaun T. Jones Jr., was arrested on preliminary charges of theft of a vehicle and operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license.

Deputies say Columbus police contacted the vehicle’s owner to retrieve the car.

The Flock camera system was purchased by Bartholomew County last year. The cameras have the ability to read license plates and quickly process those against a database to alert police via a computer program in their vehicle, when they encounter a suspect vehicle.