Car thieves get picked up again

Call it “Thelma & Louise – Part 2.” The criminal ring that brought you a car chase that went off into a ravine in May returned to Donley County last week for another clash with the law.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said “Louise,” actually 30-year-old Skyler Grimes of Amarillo, was the driver of a pick-up that was spotted by an off-duty game warden behind Allsup’s last Wednesday, June 30. The warden noticed some unusual activity and alerted the sheriff’s office. The pick-up in question turned out to be stolen out of Amarillo, and the law quickly caught up with Grimes and her passenger, 37-year-old Ramon Campos, near the Clarendon Outpost.

Campos is the twin brother of Ruben Campos, who was arrested along with “Thelma,” 22-year-old Rheanna Moore, during the group’s May encounter here.

Ramon Campos was arrested on the scene last Wednesday and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Controlled Substance, methamphetamines.

Grimes, who was already on felony probation from May’s episode, tried to elude capture but was quickly gathered up at Third and Koogle. She was also charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Controlled Substance and is facing seven charges out of Potter County as well.

Blackburn said the pair claimed they were coming to Clarendon to visit Ruben Campos in jail or to put money on his account with the jail, but the sheriff said it wasn’t visitation day and the pair had only pocket change between them.

Grimes and Ramon Campos are now being held on a total of $7,000 bond each.
Blackburn says four of the 15 inmates currently in the jail have charges of evading arrest and five are charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle.

“My message is to take your keys out of your car and then watch where you put them,” Blackburn said. “The M.O. of this group is they watch you and follow you in a store and then steal the keys or a purse.”

Amarillo is dealing with a high rate of car thefts right now, the sheriff said.