Springfield Township Police have successfully apprehended a burglary suspect with their first implementation of a drone. In a Facebook update, the department shared details of the arrest, which took place on the morning of Thursday, February 13, around 8:15 a.m. Officers were dispatched to a home on Columbine Avenue after receiving a report of a break-in. The homeowner informed authorities that she arrived to find her front door ajar and her vehicle missing. She pointed to her 29-year-old son, Seth Stratos, as the likely culprit.
Police say this suspect, who had several active warrants, fled on foot after officers arrived at the scene. With a detailed description of his clothing, officers began their search. Stratos was initially spotted in a backyard on Columbine Avenue but managed to evade capture by jumping multiple fences.
Around 11:20 a.m., a tip came in from a caller who reported seeing a man walking through the woods near her property on Farmdale Road, located about a mile from the original sighting. Springfield Township Police deployed their drone to locate Stratos, marking the police drone’s first operational use. With infrared and thermal imaging, Officer Ty Klapp located him in the woods near Fritsch Avenue. A local business owner also saw Stratos emerging from the woods and walking north on Fritsch Avenue.
As the drone tracked Stratos through backyards and over fences, officers continued their pursuit on foot. Stratos was ultimately found hiding in a backyard and taken into custody without incident.
He faces charges including unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, felony obstruction, and five outstanding warrants. The stolen vehicle was later discovered, abandoned on Edith Avenue. As for the officers involved, they were happy to have the help of their technology to swiftly apprehend Stratos.