Suspect in Wednesday’s car chase remains on the run, according to sheriff
By Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
The man allegedly involved in a theft and subsequent high-speed chase through several parts of Stephens County remains on the run today, Thursday, Jan. 4, despite the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office’s efforts to apprehend him overnight. Officials are now regrouping and working to get warrants issued to assist in capturing Michael Jacob-Lynn (aka “Lucky”) Aldridge, Sheriff Kevin Roach said.
The foggy weather in the area hampered the search. “Sometime around midnight, it got so foggy, we couldn’t see 20 feet,” he said. “And, of course, … all of our resources went away at that point. So the active search for him went away, but we stayed in the area, just watching for anything suspicious or any vehicles moving for most of the night.”
Kari Rae Haigler
Roach said that this morning Aldridge stole a vehicle from a hunter about a mile from where Kari Haigler was found hiding in a dumpster last night. The incident started Wednesday afternoon, when Stephens County Wayne McMullen was at Walmart and was informed that Aldridge and Haigler were shoplifting. When McMullen attempted to stop the couple, they fled in a white vehicle. The Breckenridge Police Department, Stephens County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety pursued the vehicle through Stephens County. The suspects’ vehicle crashed into a pond east of Breckenridge, and they escaped on foot. After approaching a resident southeast of town, Haigler was apprehended by the Sheriff’s Office, but Aldridge avoided law enforcement again.
Aldridge reportedly avoided local law enforcement officers in the stolen pickup this morning by driving through pastures southeast of Breckenridge.
“The hunter saw it happening; he saw the guy take off in his truck, so we were right on his tail,” Roach said. “But he didn’t come out on any county roads; he drove through the pastures, knocking down trees and fences and through gates. This was south of County Road 229, off of County Road 242. It deadends at a gate and goes into this private property, and that’s where he stole this truck at, which is on the southeast side of Breckinridge. And they were able to track him through his damage trail and found that he made it to pavement on (FM) 2231 East by the Hanlon plant.”
After Aldridge made it to FM 2231, he drove into Breckenridge, and officers found the stolen pickup on North Albany Street, Roach said. A witness said they saw Aldridge exit the vehicle, get picked up by someone in another vehicle and then leave the area.
The suspect has connections throughout the Big Country area, Roach said, including in Stephens County, Eastland, Cisco, Ranger and Graham.
Before Wednesday’s incident in Breckenridge and Stephens County, Aldridge had felony warrants for his arrest out of Comanche County for unauthorized use of a vehicle, Roach said. According to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office website, Aldridge has been arrested here several times, in 2016 for several charges and three times last year.
The sheriff said he thinks Aldridge will do just about anything to avoid apprehension at this point but that he doesn’t think that the suspect will randomly try to hurt strangers. But, Roach also said that if anyone spots Aldridge, they should call law enforcement immediately and not try to capture him themselves.
“He’s extremely dangerous. He showed that yesterday,” Roach said. “He’s willing to do just about anything to get away from law enforcement.”
On the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, Roach posted the following this afternoon:
“Aldridge is a wanted fugitive and is at large. While Aldridge displayed a complete disregard for the lives and property of citizens of Stephens County while evading law enforcement, he is not believed to be an imminent threat to citizens. As with all fugitives, if you encounter Aldridge, you are asked to contact law enforcement and do not attempt to apprehend him. You can contact law enforcement at any of the following:
Call 911
Call the Breckenridge Police Dispatch (254)-559-2211.
Call Stephens County Sheriff’s Office (254)-559-2481.
Stephens County Crime Stoppers telephone (877)-500-8477, Website https://877500tips.com/home.”
To read more about the situation, click the following links to Breckenridge Texan articles:
Stephens County Sheriff’s Office arrests female suspect in today’s car chase case
(Photo courtesy of the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office)
