By Kevin Krause
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — Good detective work on the part of some Dallas County Jail inmates led to the arrest Sunday of a county maintenance worker who was charged with stealing parts from at least one vehicle in the Lew Sterrett Justice Center parking lot.
Ricky Lee Darnell, 26, of Fort Worth was spotted by inmates in the north tower jail who were looking outside their windows, according to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department.
The inmates told jail guards they saw a man acting suspiciously on the third level of the parking garage. Deputies went to the garage and caught Darnell in the act of committing theft, sheriff’s reports said.
A Honda sedan was found on a scissor jack. The car was missing chrome parts from its high-performance wheels.
Deputies found the parts in Darnell’s Honda sedan parked nearby. They also found hand tools on the driver’s seat that were used to remove the wheel covers, reports say. Authorities confiscated Darnell’s county ID, swipe card and keys.
He was charged with theft and also booked on an Arlington traffic warrant. Darnell was released after posting a $1,500 bond.
Copyright 2011 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS