An attempted burglary at a collision repair shop in American Fork, Utah, was caught on camera just days before Christmas. The suspect was later apprehended thanks to the auto shop owner that same night, according to a KSL news article.
“I mean, I shouldn’t have caught him,” Travis Olsen, owner at AF Collision, told a KSL reporter.
The attempted burglary happened on Friday, Dec. 22, while Olsen and other employees were still inside the shop. Surveillance footage shows the suspect walking in through a back door and picking up multiple tools.
Olsen said one of his employees spotted the suspect while he was leaving.
“My painter came in and asked, ‘Who’s in the back of the shop?’” Olsen said.
Security footage then shows the man taking off, dropping most of the items he attempted to steal as he was being confronted by employees.
What happened after, he said, was pure luck. Olsen decided to drive around the area just before spotting a man only a few blocks away from his shop.
“He walked underneath a light, and I saw him,” Olsen said.
He then called 911, following the suspect until officers were able to arrive.
The suspect was identified by police as Takoda Kalon Taylor, 29. According to court documents obtained by KSL, Taylor has a criminal history and is also on probation.
Olsen said he’s grateful the situation didn’t end up worse and was upset when the events unfolded.
“Who are you to take our stuff, my stuff, especially my guys’ stuff, while we’re out here making an honest living?” Olsen said to KSL. Despite everything that had happened, Olsen believes everything happens for a reason.
“This time of year is really rough on a lot of people,” he said. “I just hope that he can get the help that he needs to go on a good path in life.”
