An alleged car thief was corralled and captured Monday night. Sanford, Florida police and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office had some help from an unlikely source: a herd of cows.
Jennifer Anne Kaufman ran from police into a field after the allegedly stolen Subaru she was in crashed during a pursuit. After taking the others in the car into custody, police had trouble seeing Kaufman in the field. The Orlando Sentinel reports that this field is a cow pasture owned by American Land Investments of Central Florida, LLC.
Even the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office helicopter with night vision was having a difficult time keeping Kaufman in sight. But about 16 cows in the field were quite visible. These cows began following Kaufman, getting very close at times. They started to chase and actually herd Kaufman toward the fence. Officers in the helicopter watched this from above and guided ground units to where the cows cornered Kaufman. She gave herself up for arrest without a struggle.
The police report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel states the Subaru contained 1.3 grams of cocaine, a pipe burnt at both ends, two spoons, and two clear-colored needles. Erin Leigh Thomas and Jamie Michael Young, who were in the car with Kaufman, were also arrested.
Police have had relationships with animals for years. Dogs are frequently used both to apprehend suspects as well as to find drugs. Though cows are a bit too large to fit inside a Ford Police Interceptor, there may yet be a future for them in law enforcement.