Man allegedly steals fire truck parked outside Colorado jail moments after being released from custody

Richmond Takashi Johnson, 33, now faces nine new charges after a multi-agency pursuit ended in a foot chase outside Denver

close Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for April 29

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.

A male suspect allegedly stole a fire truck parked outside a Colorado jail early Wednesday morning, just moments after being released from custody, according to the Boulder Police Department (BPD).

Officials said the chaotic incident quickly triggered a multi-agency pursuit, prompting officers to deploy tire-deflation devices along a highway before the situation escalated into a brief foot chase outside of Denver.

Authorities identified him as 33-year-old Richmond Takashi Johnson, who they said has an "extensive criminal history." He had originally been booked on third-degree trespassing charges prior to the alleged theft of the emergency vehicle.

The incident ultimately caused significant damage to the fire rescue engine and multiple responding vehicles from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said. An officer also sustained minor injuries during the pursuit.

REPEAT OFFENDER WITH 19 FELONIES BUSTED AFTER WILD CAUGHT-ON-CAMERA CHASE: POLICE

A vehicle operated by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office flashes its lights next to a fire truck on April 29, 2026. (City of Boulder)

According to the BPD, Johnson was first taken into custody around midnight after officers received reports of a man "trying to open the doors of cars and homes" in a residential neighborhood around 11:30 p.m.

Following his release around 3:30 a.m., in accordance with Colorado statute, fire rescue crews arrived shortly thereafter in response to an unrelated medical call.

While crews were inside the jail booking lobby treating a patient, Johnson allegedly entered the fire engine and drove roughly one mile before being spotted by Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deputies, along with Boulder police.

Johnson allegedly continued driving and refused to stop for law enforcement, eventually reaching a major interstate roughly 10 miles to the east.

WASHINGTON BOY, 12, STEALS GRANDFATHER'S CAR, DRIVES 160 MILES BEFORE HE IS STOPPED

An officer patrols outside the Boulder County jail on June 5, 2025. (CHET STRANGE/AFP)

Police from the nearby suburb of Longmont were then called in to assist, deploying stop sticks at at least three locations along the highway.

Johnson subsequently lost control of the truck after its tires deflated and fled on foot.

"He then jumped out of Engine 143 and ran away," police said. "Within minutes he was arrested by Boulder County Sheriff’s deputies and Longmont Police officers."

"Thankfully there were no serious injuries to any first responders or community members, however, a Boulder County Sheriff’s deputy sustained a minor injury from the foot pursuit of the suspect," the department added.

Johnson was not injured during his arrest.

The Boulder Fire-Rescue Engine 143, one of the city’s electric RTX engines, reportedly sustained significant damage and is being assessed by the city’s fleet division.

A Boulder Fire-Rescue truck sits disabled on a street on April 29, 2026, after its tires were deflated during the incident. (City of Boulder)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Two Boulder County Sheriff’s Office vehicles also sustained major damage, while another sheriff’s unit suffered minor damage.

Johnson now faces nine new charges, including obstructing a peace officer, firefighter, emergency medical service provider, rescue specialist or volunteer; two counts of felony motor vehicle theft; resisting arrest; reckless driving; felony criminal mischief involving damage to city property; felony vehicular eluding; reckless endangerment; and driving after revocation prohibited

Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.

Support Everyday Chronicle
Global reporting requires independent voices. If you value our coverage, please consider a small contribution to help us grow.
​Click the button below to make a secure donation

Illegal immigrant admitted posing as Border Patrol agent in calculated scheme to disrupt deportations: DOJ

Jaime Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez faces up to 15 years in prison on firearms charges after his guilty plea

close Video

Rep Chip Roy: ICE, Border Patrol should get the funding they deserve

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, discusses the DHS shutdown, criticizing Democrats for opposing full DHS funding for border security and more on ‘The Big Weekend Show.’

A man accused of targeting federal immigration agents and pretending to be one of them is now facing serious prison time after prosecutors say his stunt put law enforcement in danger.

Jaime Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez, 53, an illegal immigrant who overstayed a tourist visa decades ago, pleaded guilty Tuesday after admitting he impersonated a U.S. Border Patrol agent to interfere with deportation operations.

Authorities say the impersonation was deliberate and planned.

On Jan. 8, Alvarez-Gonzalez allegedly trailed a real Border Patrol agent through San Diego, Calif., in a black Ford F-150 dressed up to resemble an undercover federal vehicle.

TOW TRUCK DRIVER SLAPPED WITH FEDERAL CHARGE AFTER HAULING AWAY ICE VEHICLE: 'HE CAN LAUGH BEHIND BARS'

Prosecutors say Alvarez-Gonzalez possessed firearms despite being prohibited. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

The truck appeared convincing at a glance, outfitted with a Border Patrol sticker, fake radio antennas, a dashboard lightbar and handcuffs hanging from the mirror, despite a license plate frame that misspelled "Federal" as "Ferderal."

It worked well enough that the real agent believed he was being followed by another federal officer and pulled off his mission for safety.

OKLAHOMA MAN CHARGED WITH THREATENING TO KILL ICE AGENTS, MAGA REPUBLICANS ONLINE

According to court filings, Alvarez-Gonzalez narrated the encounter in real time, claiming he was "on patrol" as he tracked the agent through city streets. At one point, he pulled alongside the agent at a stoplight and began recording him, later following him into a gas station parking lot and declaring he would stay on his "target."

Prosecutors say Alvarez-Gonzalez posed with official Border Patrol vehicles. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

Prosecutors say Alvarez-Gonzalez, wearing a face mask and a "thin green line" hat, was actively searching for federal agents involved in ICE and Border Patrol operations.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INDICTED IN ALLEGED ASSAULT ON ICE AGENTS IN TEXAS

Prosecutors say Alvarez-Gonzalez recorded himself during the incident. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

When agents confronted him, the situation escalated quickly.

Authorities say he shouted obscenities, ordered agents out of the Linda Vista neighborhood, and then called in what he described as his "reinforcements." Multiple vehicles soon arrived and people began harassing and chasing federal agents onto the highway — an encounter Alvarez-Gonzalez filmed himself.

GOT A TIP?

• Image 1 of 3
  next
  The suspect's truck was modified with law enforcement-style features, prosecutors say. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

• Image 2 of 3
  prev

  next

  The vehicle was equipped with a dashboard lightbar to resemble law enforcement. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

• Image 3 of 3
  prev

  Photos show Alvarez-Gonzalez posing with multiple firearms. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

He was arrested days later. But investigators say the impersonation was only part of the story.

FOLLOW US ON X

A series of photos shared by prosecutors show Alvarez-Gonzalez handling firearms at a Houston-area shooting range after traveling to Texas, despite being barred from possessing weapons. In one image, he is seen holding a Kalashnikov-style rifle alongside a caption referencing "Pancho Villa" in the United States.

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

Vehicle used in the alleged impersonation featured a Texas plate labeled "Ferderal Truck." (U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of California)

Additional images appear to show him displaying multiple rifles near a pickup truck and standing beside a Ford vehicle with a Texas license plate and markings resembling a "Ferderal Truck" label paired with a sheriff-style emblem.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

Authorities recovered law enforcement-style items and plates from the defendant. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

Authorities say other photos place him in front of an actual Border Patrol vehicle and, in a separate shot, near a heavily secured stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, where he is seen wearing what appears to be a vest and badge while standing by a "No Trespassing" sign.

Image shows Alvarez-Gonzalez near a restricted area at the southern border. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California)

Investigators say they also recovered an FBI-style badge and found that Alvarez-Gonzalez had access to firearms, including a Glock pistol, along with ammunition tied to weapons he was not legally allowed to possess.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Court documents further allege he tried to cover his tracks. While in custody, authorities say he called an associate and asked that law enforcement-style markings be removed from his vehicles. When agents later searched them, much of the apparent impersonation gear had already been taken off.

Following his guilty plea, Alvarez-Gonzalez now faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison on the firearms charges alone.

Fox News Digital reached out to his attorney.

Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.

Support Everyday Chronicle
Global reporting requires independent voices. If you value our coverage, please consider a small contribution to help us grow.
​Click the button below to make a secure donation

Louisiana sheriff charged after toilet jailbreak let 10 inmates escape in lockup fiasco

Attorney General Liz Murrill alleges Susan Hutson's poor leadership enabled inmates to escape from behind a toilet

close Video

New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson takes accountability for jailbreak at city council meeting

New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson took accountability for a jailbreak that led to 10 inmates escaping the Orleans Justice Center.

A Louisiana sheriff is facing a slew of charges stemming from the infamous New Orleans jailbreak that resulted in one of the largest inmate escape incidents in U.S. history.

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, 59, was handed a sweeping 30-count indictment alleging obstruction of justice, malfeasance and falsifying public records on Wednesday, according to a press release from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.

Chief Financial Officer Bianka Brown was also slapped with 20 felony counts, officials added.

The charges stem from a May 2025 incident in which 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center, Murrill’s office said.

NEW ORLEANS JAIL SECURITY 'TRAIN WRECK' HELPED 4-TIME ESCAPEE, 9 OTHERS BREAK OUT: FORMER WARDEN

Sheriff Susan Hutson arrives at the Council Chambers for a City Council meeting after 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center at City Hall in New Orleans on May 20, 2025. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/AP)

"Nearly a year ago, I made a commitment to the people of New Orleans and the people of our state that those responsible for the Orleans Parish Prison break would be held accountable," Murrill said in a statement.

"Since that day, through the hard work of my office, along with the Louisiana State Police and our many federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, every escapee is behind bars, and others who facilitated and enabled the escape are currently being prosecuted."

Murrill also alleges Hutson’s poor leadership played a key role in the escape of nearly a dozen dangerous inmates, including some facing murder charges, after they broke out of jail from behind a toilet.

All 10 inmates were subsequently captured following a nationwide manhunt.

GOT A TIP?

Surveillance footage shows inmates escaping the Orleans Justice Center during a security breach in New Orleans. (Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office)

"While Sheriff Hutson did not personally open the doors of the jail for the escapees, her refusal to comply with basic legal requirements and to take even minimal precautions in the discharge of her duties directly contributed to and enabled the escape," Murrill said.

The charges come just days before Hutson was set to leave office after only receiving 17% of the vote in her re-election bid last October, FOX 8 reported.

FOLLOW US ON X

Mugshots show 10 inmates who escaped from Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans. The escapees are Dkenan Dennis, Gary C. Price, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Corey E. Boyd, Lenton Vanburen Jr., Jermaine Donald, Antonine T. Massey, Derrick D. Groves, and Leo Tate Sr. (Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office/AP)

Hutson’s term was reportedly plagued by the infamous jailbreak, several controversies and calls for her to resign as sheriff.

She had never worked in a jail when she unseated four-term former Sheriff Marlin Gusman in 2021, and had minimal law enforcement experience after working as the city’s independent police monitor and an attorney specializing in police oversight, according to FOX 8.

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

Sheriff Susan Hutson speaks during a City Council meeting at City Hall in New Orleans on May 20, 2025, following the escape of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Justice Center. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/Associated Press)

Additionally, state auditors recently reported nearly $260,000 in suspicious overpayments for security details, with previous scandals involving allegations that Hutson dropped large sums of cash on hotel rooms for her top officials during Mardi Gras, according to FOX 8.

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Michelle Woodfork was elected by voters to succeed Hutson, and is expected to be sworn in on Monday, the outlet reported.

A photo of the hole left behind by violent inmates who escaped the Orleans Parish Jail. (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

"As my prosecutors move forward with this case, I continue to have productive conversations with Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork on how to improve operations, secure the facility, and build in basic financial oversight that complies with state law," Murrill added. "I am confident in her commitment to implement the difficult changes needed to reform the jail."

A judge has set Hutson’s bond at $300,000, and Brown’s bond at $200,000, while also ordering both women to hand over their passports and remain in the state of Louisiana.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Both Hutson and Brown are set to appear in court for a status hearing on Thursday.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hutson, Brown and the Louisiana Office of the Attorney General for comment.

Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.

Support Everyday Chronicle
Global reporting requires independent voices. If you value our coverage, please consider a small contribution to help us grow.
​Click the button below to make a secure donation

Suspect arrested after mom, pregnant teen, 12-year-old found bound and murdered

William Graham Oliver, 54, was arrested in connection with the April 20 killings in an Alabama home

close Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for April 28

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.

Authorities have arrested a man in connection with the brutal murders of an Alabama mother, her pregnant teenage daughter and 12-year-old son, who were found bound in their home on April 20.

Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said William Graham Oliver, 54, is charged with eight counts of capital murder, according to a report from local outlet WALA. He was booked into jail Tuesday.

Fox News Digital previously reported Mobile County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a home in Wilmer, Alabama, just after 2:30 a.m. April 20, where they found three bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs.

The victims were identified as Lisa Gail Fields, 46, who was stabbed; Keziah Arionna Luker, 17, who was shot; and Thomas Cordelle Jr., 12, who had his throat cut and was nearly decapitated.

Lisa Fields, 46, and her two children, 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle and 17-year-old Keziah Luker, were found brutally murder in their Alabama home, authorities said Monday. (WALA)

FOX NEWS TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER: JIMMY GRACEY'S DISAPPEARANCE, KOURI RICHINS' VERDICT, LUIGI MANGIONE'S DEFENSE

Burch described the scene as "brutal" and noted the home was "left in disarray."

Luker's 18-month-old child was found unharmed in the home. Her unborn child, which was seven or eight months along, also died.

The unborn child's father, who works offshore, triggered the discovery after he could not reach Luker when he saw her phone activated on Life 360, the sheriff said. Another family member went to check on her and found the deceased family.

An open field near the home where Lisa Fields, 46, and her two children, 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle and 17-year-old Keziah Luker, were found murdered. (WALA)

BELOVED TEACHER KILLED AS SHE SLEPT, DAUGHTER STABBED IN ATTACK AS MOTIVE REMAINS UNCLEAR: DA

Burch said Oliver knew the family "for quite some time" and was inside the home "looking for something" the night before the bodies were found, according to the report.

"Very very tight timeline," Burch told reporters. "Very solid circumstantial evidence at this point and we feel confident that we have the right man."

Burch said investigators have pinpointed what Oliver was allegedly looking for and his motive, but did not release those details to the public, the outlet reported.

The scene outside the Alabama home where a mother and her two children where brutally murdered. (WALA)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Shortly after the killings, investigators said they believed more than one person was involved in the killings because the victims had been subdued using zip ties and flex cuffs. It is unclear if any additional suspects have been identified.

Jail records show Oliver was charged with first-degree theft of property in 2020, with other arrests dating back to 1990.

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

Support Everyday Chronicle
Global reporting requires independent voices. If you value our coverage, please consider a small contribution to help us grow.
​Click the button below to make a secure donation