Man in Plane Spots Burglars at His Home

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on August 31, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Steve Lynn got the thrill of his life on Friday when, flying high above in a plane, he spotted burglars stealing items from his Jonesboro, Arkansas home.

With a bit of quick thinking, he and his pilot friend were able to help officers with the Craighead County Sheriff's Office apprehend suspects Roosevelt Smith III and Joseph Peel, both of whom have been charged with burglary and theft.

Talk about a plane ride.

Apparently, Steve Lynn had gone up in the air with two friends, and had requested that they fly over his home so he could capture a few aerial photos.

From the plane, he spotted burglars moving items into a truck hooked to a trailer, reports the Associated Press. He then called his uncle, who managed to scare off the burglars before police arrived.

The plane followed the suspects, with KAIT-TV reporting that Lynn gave play-by-play directions to officers on the ground.

While this is definitely an intriguing and amusing story, it probably wasn't the best idea for Steve Lynn and his friends to follow the suspects, who the AP reports had also stolen a rifle.

Besides the fact that you can never be sure that a suspect is unarmed, it's very easy to harm bystanders during a chase, especially if driving a vehicle. You could be held liable for any damage.

So just because a man in a plane spotted burglars at his home, it doesn't mean you should attempt to stop burglars at your own home. Steve Lynn was simply lucky the suspects didn't feel the need to shoot.

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