EL CAJON, Calif. (CNS) - A police drone assisted firefighters battling a commercial blaze in La Mesa, while a second drone helped officers locate a robbery suspect nearby, authorities said Tuesday.
Around 3 p.m. Monday, Heartland Fire & Rescue crews responded to a building fire at 8800 Grossmont Blvd., where construction materials had ignited on the rooftop, according to the El Cajon Police Department.
As part of the department's Drone as First Responder Program, one drone was deployed to provide real-time aerial visuals of the fire's location and spread. Police said the footage played a key role in supporting firefighting operations.
At about 3:50 p.m., while the fire response was underway, officers received a report of a man stealing a pair of shoes from the Vans store at 882 N. Second St. in El Cajon, police said. A second police drone located the suspect, guided officers on the ground to him and he was detained without incident, police said.
The man, found wearing the stolen shoes and identified by store employees, was determined to have multiple prior theft convictions that qualified him for booking under repeat-offender provisions, according to police.
"Whether aiding in the swift apprehension of criminals or supporting firefighting operations, drone technology continues to prove its effectiveness in protecting the community and assisting first responders," the department said in a statement.
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