Car thieves land in jail after chase

Female crime partners drove off in a ravine south of Clarendon Saturday in a lightweight “Thelma & Louise” moment as they tried to evade capture by the law.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the saga started Friday morning when his office was called to Allsup’s at about 1:30 a.m. on a report that someone had grabbed the car keys of a store clerk and took off with their vehicle.

A local deputy later located the vehicle on the opposite end of town behind West Texas Gas, Blackburn said. Four individuals were there along with another stolen vehicle, a white Honda Accord stolen from Amarillo earlier that night.

While the lone deputy attempted to apprehend the gang of two women and two men, the women jumped in the Accord and sped off with the deputy shooting out one of the rear tires as they made their getaway.

The male suspects – Ruben Campos, 37, and Alan Moore, 36, both of Amarillo – were placed under arrest and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity. Campos was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Still on the lam and having replaced their shot-out tire with a spare donut, the female suspects were spotted in Brice on Saturday afternoon about 4:36, Blackburn said. A game warden noticed the women in the parked Accord there and called the Hall County Sheriff for backup. As the game warden and sheriff approached the vehicle, the women sped off again, northbound on SH 70 towards Clarendon, Blackburn said.

Before they made it to town, however, Blackburn said the pair drove the Accord off the highway into a ravine, striking a tree before fleeing the scene on foot.

The Donley County Sheriff’s Office, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, Associated Ambulance Authority, and Finch Ranch Helicopter Service all joined the hunt, that led to the eventual apprehension of Skyler Grimes, 30, of Amarillo and Rheanna Moore, 22, of Panhandle. Both women were charged with two counts of Evading Arrest in a Motor Vehicle, Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle.

All four suspects were still in the Donley County Jail Tuesday morning.

“We could not have done this case without the help of other agencies, particularly our local firemen and Finch Ranch Helicopter,” Blackburn said.