Police capture Chick-fil-A burglary suspect hiding on island after swim through retention pond

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Thursday, April 20, 2017
Chick-fil-A burglary suspect jumps into lake and swims to island
According to police, the suspect was at the Chick-fil-A at the 6800 block of West Sam Houston Parkway. Witnesses saw him run out of the building.

HOUSTON -- The Houston police dive team has captured a Chick-fil-A burglary suspect who was hiding on an island after he led officers on a foot chase in southwest Houston.

According to police, the suspect, identified as Usasveus Austin, was trying to break into the safe at the Chick-fil-A in the 6800 block of West Sam Houston Parkway.

Police said he used a circular saw to smash out a window from the front of the restaurant and was talking on the phone during the break in.

Witnesses called police and told officers that they saw him run out of the building around 3 a.m.

When police arrived at the restaurant, they told him to stop. Instead, the suspect ran off into a field, jumped into a retention pond at Arthur Storey Park and hid on the island.

The Houston police dive team used a small boat to reach the island and arrested the suspect around 6:30 a.m. Officers say they used a K9 officer to find the suspect on the island because he had covered himself in mud and brush.

Police said the man had an open warrant for another burglary.