Suspect steals car, leaves his photo behind

A Hedley woman had her car stolen last Tuesday during a quick stop at a local convenience store.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said Timber Lee Potts had filled her 1995 Cadillac with gas at Uncle Bob’s and then went in the store.

“A kid came in there and asked if they had a Western Union,” Potts said. “Tonja (Ruthardt) told him he would have to go to Lowe’s in Clarendon for that. He left, and when I went out about 20 minutes later, my car was gone.”

Potts said she didn’t immediately react because she thought Travis Ruthardt was playing a prank on her and had just hidden her car.

“By the time we called the sheriff, he probably had an hour head start,” Potts said of the subject.

Blackburn said the subject turned out to be Clint Stevens of Wichita Falls, who left his girlfriend’s 2005 Kia at Uncle Bob’s and inside was information that identified the subject as well as a picture of him.

“He took his keys, but he was out of gas,” Potts said.

The sheriff’s office put out an alert for the stolen vehicle, and two hours later the Armstrong County Sheriff’s Office found Potts’ vehicle behind a building in Claude and Stevens attempting to break into the building.

The car was recovered, and Steven was arrested on charges of Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle and Burglary of a Building. He was still in the Armstrong County Jail at press time.

Blackburn advises people not to leave their keys in their car even if they are just running into a store for a minute, and Potts agrees with him.

“You always think, ‘It will never happen to me.’ Well, it happened to me,” she said. “I just hope nobody leaves their keys in their car with their kids in it because it could sure not be a good thing.”

Stevens has a lengthy criminal history, including charges of burglary, robbery, and deadly conduct, Blackburn said.