A recently released criminal is back in custody after he assaulted a truck driver and took off with the driver’s load of high-end vehicles in Cochise County.
According to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, on February 15 2024 a truck driver was assaulted and robbed at the Willcox Loves Truck Stop, by Isaiah Walker, 23 of Lawton Oklahoma, who spoke to the trucker about his truckload. Walker had lulled the the trucker into a sense of security, and when the trucker was entering his vehicle, Walker grabbed him and threw him from the cab.
Walker then entered the vehicle, locked the door, stole the vehicle, and drove it from the parking lot. The stolen vehicle, a car hauling semi, was transporting 10 Chevrolet C8 Corvettes with an estimated value above $1,250,000 and left the area traveling North on Fort Grant Road.
A deputy from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office located the stolen vehicle near Fort Grant Road and Browns Market where the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, which failed to yield to the deputy’s emergency lights and sirens. The stolen vehicle began driving recklessly which caused vehicles to leave the roadway. As the stolen vehicle approached North Fort Grant Road and County Line Road, the vehicle turned onto County Line Road and stopped.
Walker was taken into custody by the deputy and a Willcox Police Department officer, who provided Walker with his Miranda Rights and interviewed him on the scene. Walker admitted to stealing the vehicle and said that the Corvettes were not the reason that he needed a truck to get home as he had just been released from prison.
Walker was booked into the Cochise County Jail for multiple felony charges including Robbery, 11 counts of Theft of Means of Transportation, and Felony Theft.
“I am extremely proud of the officer and deputy involved in this investigation,” said Willcox Police Chief Dale Hadfield. “The deputy and officer showed great restraint and patience in bringing a serious crime to a peaceful resolution, all while keeping the property of others from being damaged. The stolen vehicle was safely recovered without damage and was released to the driver so he could continue his delivery. Again, I thank the officer and deputy who were involved in this investigation for keeping our citizens safe.”