Castle Rock police deploy dart tracker to arrest suspected car thief

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- A car theft led to an overnight arrest in Colorado Springs after Castle Rock police deploy a tracking dart device onto the vehicle mid-chase, according to a press release from The Colorado Springs Police Department.

According to that press release, Castle Rock police attempted to stop a car in their jurisdiction that had been reported stolen. The vehicle was able to escape Castle Rock police, but not before they deployed a "Star Chase Device." The device is a GPS-enabled dart that sticks to a car's bumper.

The tracker dart allowed Castle Rock PD to track the stolen car back to Colorado Springs and give Colorado Springs police updates on the vehicle's location. Officers with the Gold Hill Division were able to locate the stolen car based on that information. Police tracked the stolen car and suspect to the area of Wood Terrace Dr. and Culebra Ave. on a dead-end road.

The stolen car was occupied by a man named, Levi Stewart, who initially refused to comply with officer commands. Stewart was eventually removed from the car using non-lethal tactics; he was then taken into custody.

Stewart was transported to the hospital for minor injuries before being booked into the El Paso County Jail for motor vehicle theft and various other charges.

The vehicle was returned to its owner, and the "Star Chase Dart" was recovered and returned to the Castle Rock Police Department.