Citizen Tip Results in Arrest of Fargo Car Thief

(Fargo, ND) -- Thanks to a tip from a concerned citizen, the Fargo Police Department was able to arrest a car thief in the area.

Authorities say Thursday evening they were dispatched to the parking lot of 4603 13 Avenue South for a report of a car prowler. The complainant stated they saw a male with a backpack attempting to open the doors to vehicles. They saw the male gain entry into a vehicle, go through it, start the vehicle and drive away to the west and provided a license plate number to dispatch.

Information regarding the stolen vehicle was broadcast to officers in the area. Upon the officers’ arrival, they located the victim and learned the vehicle was left unlocked with the keys in it.

Officers then located the vehicle in the area of the 1900 block of 44th Street South, initiated a traffic stop, and the driver fled. The driver, later identified as 25-year-old Cornell T. Crider, struck a tree near the intersection of 19th Avenue South and 43 Street South, and then fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit officers were able to detain Crider, and administered standardized field sobriety test where he was deemed to be over the limit to be driving. Crider refused further tests and was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing in a motor vehicle, refusal to halt, driving under the influence, and driving under the influence refusal.

"We’d like to remind the community, the vast majority of theft from motor vehicle and theft of motor vehicle stem from unlocked vehicles with the keys in it," said Fargo Police Public Information Officer Jessica Schindeldecker in a statement released to WDAY Radio. "People who steal from vehicles and steal vehicles go on to commit additional crimes. What kind of crimes do they commit? They make purchases (large purchases, sometimes) with the victim’s credit card. They burglarize your garage and/or because they have your address from the vehicle registration card and garage door opener. Thankfully, Crider did not cause a crash that resulted in injuries to an innocent bystander. Please help us reduce the occurrence of these crimes by locking your vehicle and removing the keys at all times."

The department added a thank you to the citizen who called in this suspicious activity as it was occurring, which allowed officers to respond to the area in a timely manner and ultimately make an arrest.