Police Helicopter Tracks Down Stolen Van Suspects: Video

BLOOMINGDALE-RIVERVIEW, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's Aviation Unit helped police locate a stolen van out of Riverview, and the two suspects who jumped out of the stolen vehicle in Tampa, a police news release said.

At 10:25 a.m. on Sunday, the victim told deputies his white 2013 Ford Transit work van was stolen from his driveway in the 13000 block of Beechberry Drive in Riverview. It had $5,000 worth of tools in it, he said.

Deputies said the van's tracking device pinged its location to Osprey Circle in Riverview and then showed it in Tampa.

At approximately 11:30 p.m., police were notified by the tracking device that the van had driven back out into the county.

HCSO's Aviation Unit assisted with the search, and followed the stolen van in the area of U.S. Highway 301 and Stacy Road in Thonotosassa, officials said. (The video provided by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is below this article.)

The van drove south and then turned onto Fowler Avenue, north on Interstate 75 and eventually exited onto Bruce B. Downs Boulevard where it crossed over the Pasco County line, investigators say.

Police said the two suspects jumped out of the van after it exited the interstate at Blanton Road.

The van quickly came to a complete stop after they jumped out of it.

Police said the suspects ran across all lanes of I-75. HCSO's aviation pilot tracked their movements into the wooded area and guided Pasco deputies to the suspects.

"These suspects stole a van and put dozens of drivers in danger, especially when they abandoned a moving vehicle and sprinted across a fast-moving interstate," said Sheriff Chad Chronister in a news release. "We want to give a special shout out to our aviation pilots and detectives who don't miss a beat and provide critical information to deputies on the ground. The suspects in this case were arrested by the Pasco Sheriff's Office and thankfully, no one got hurt during the ordeal."