After an impressive demonstration of teamwork, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) and the Beaumont Police Department captured a burglar in Beaumont’s South Park neighborhood this morning.
Shortly after 8:30AM, Beaumont Police Department patrol officers were dispatched to assist JCSO Deputies who were in pursuit of a stolen Lexus. After leading several deputies and BPD patrol officers on a lengthy chase, disregarding numerous traffic laws, red-lights, stop signs, and school zones, a black male jumped out of the front passenger seat of the vehicle in the area of Glenwood and 5th. The driver, 17 year old Beaumont resident Chandler Gilford, continued the chase, eventually losing control of the sports car and crashing at the corner of Alma and Ogden. Gilford effectively evaded the officers for a very brief time, before being found hiding under a nearby residence. The passenger who jumped out of the vehicle in the area of Glenwood and 5th was seen hopping over a fence and fleeing onto Ozen High School’s campus and thus causing the campus to go into lock-down mode. After a lengthy and deliberate search of the campus, the passenger was not found, and the school lifted the lock-down.
Gilford was transported to Jefferson County Jail and charged with Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle and Evading in a Motor Vehicle. The second suspect, the passenger, has not been located yet.
17 Year Old Chandler Gilford