VIDEO: Bait car thief tracked by APD

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department was looking for a known car thief after being alerted about a bait car being taken last month. They chased the suspect into a northeast Albuquerque neighborhood before losing him. Newly-released video shows you his joyride in the stolen car, and what happened when APD called in backup to finally catch him.

A man police identified as Clifton Archie, making a number of bad decisions last month, including being caught on camera busting into a car. That turned out to be an APD bait car.

Video shows the driver picking up a friend and letting another friend help him comb through the car joyriding around for nearly an hour and a half. Little does he know APD officers are following him the entire time, and are right there when the car is disabled.

The officers lose Archie in a nearby neighborhood but they bring in backup. A K-9 officer helps search the neighborhood when a police drone locates Archie in a backyard.

They send in the dog who quickly finds Archie in a shed. Officers arrest Archie who, despite those warnings from officers, acts surprised they sent in the dog.

Clifton Archie is being held through his trial based on his criminal background. He’s been convicted three times for stealing cars, once in 2016 and twice last year.

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