COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. — A suspect who initially befriended a truck driver on Feb. 15 at a Love’s in Willcox, Arizona, later assaulted the man and drove away with a semi-truck filled with brand new Corvettes.
According to a news release from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, Isaiah Walker, 23, of Lawton, Oklahoma, initially spoke to the truck driver about his load, “lulling him into a sense of security, and when the victim was entering his vehicle, Mr. Walker grabbed the victim and threw him from the cab.”
The suspect then locked the door and drove the truck from the parking lot. The truck was transporting 10 Chevrolet C8 Corvettes with an estimated value above $1,250,000.
A deputy from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department soon located the stolen vehicle near Fort Grant Road and Browns Market, where the officer attempted to stop it.
Walker failed to yield to the deputy’s emergency lights and sirens, the news release notes, and he then began driving recklessly, causing vehicles to leave the roadway.
As the truck approached North Fort Grant Road and County Line Road, Walker turned onto County Line Road and stopped.
“Mr. Walker was taken into custody by the Deputy and a Willcox Police Officer, who provided Mr. Walker with his Miranda Rights and interviewed him on the scene,” according to the news release. “Mr. Walker admitted to stealing the vehicle and advised that the Corvettes were not the reason and that he needed a truck to get home as he had just been released from prison.”
Walker was booked into the Cochise County Jail for multiple felony charges, including robbery, 11 counts of theft of means of transportation and felony theft.
“I am extremely proud of the officer and deputy involved in this investigation,” Wilcox Police Chief Dale Hadfield said. “The deputy and officer showed great restraint and patience in bringing a serious crime to a peaceful resolution, all while keeping the property of others from being damaged. The stolen vehicle was safely recovered without damage and was released to the driver so he could continue his delivery. Again, I thank the officer and deputy who were involved in this investigation for keeping our citizens safe.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
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