Tuesday, March 14, 2000:

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From Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Sunday, December 30, 1956

Knife Threat Is Ignored Youths Nab Shoplifting Suspect In Wild Downtown Chase Here

A group of courageous youths captured a 37 year-old suspected shoplifter who was armed with an open knife following a 'hare-and-hounds' chase through crowded streets in downtown Lubbock Saturday.

Police and the manager of the store where the offense occurred praised the group for quickly giving chase to the fleeing suspect and disarming the man after he was captured. Police later identified the man being held as Vidal R. Rodriquez of McAllen.

The chase started about 4:30 p.m. Saturday when Mrs C.Z. Sterling, manager of Franklin's Ladies Apparel, 1203 Broadway, spotted a Latin American as he grabbed six women's slips from a counter and dashed from the store.

WOMAN IN PURSUIT

The shoplifter ran around the corner and headed for the east-west alley south of Broadway between Avenue J and Avenue K with Mrs. Sterling in pursuit.

As the woman dashed across Avenue K she saw the group of teenagers driving north in their car. "Stop that man" she shouted. The boys jumped from the car and started after the suspect, who was still clutching his loot.

In the car were Kenneth Austin, 16, Max Rogers, 16, Jack Neal, 20, Buddy Holly [sic], 21, the driver, and two girls Connie Holton and Melba Barnett.

"We chased him east through the alley to Avenue J and then he turned south," Austin related later. "He ran to 13th street, then angled across the parking lot south of Cobb's Department Store and into the north-south alley on the east side of the parking lot" Austin continued.

"As the man ran north in the alley, he threw a bag under a truck. About that time we saw three of our friends near the north end of the alley. We yelled at them to grab the man and they did", Austin said.

PULLED KNIFE ON GROUP

The friends - Jerry Bankston, 17, Mike Temple, 16, and James Long, 16 - held the supect until Austin and Holley arrived.

"Suddenly he pulled away and flashed a knife at us," Austin continued. 'Then he ran back down the alley south toward 14th street." Once more the chase was on, but Rogers and Neal, who had dropped behind the group, were coming up the alley from 14th street.

"Max and Jack grabbed him by the arms," Austin said, then chuckled. "I don't think they knew he had an open knife in his hand".

When Austin, Holley, Bankston, Temple and Long reached the spot where Rogers and Neal were struggling with the suspect, Bankston removed the knife from the man's hand. The suspect was marched down 13th street to the excel Frontier Shop where police were notified.

CAPTORS ARE PRAISED

"When I arrived the kids had the suspect backed against the store front. He was pinned in and couldn't get away," said motorcycle officer V.E. Patterson, the first to reach the scene. "But if it hadn't been for those kids, he would have gotten away for sure".

"We're all members of the American Legion Youth Center and we believe in justice," Austin proudly announced later as he recounted the story. Holley, the eldest of the group, is the leader of a small orchestra that plays at the Youth Center. Neal is a member of Holley's orchestra.

Mrs. Sterling, who followed the entire chase, recovered the merchandise in the bag under the truck. Charges of theft over $5 were pending late Saturday night against the suspect."