A thief in Texas didn’t pick the smartest place to take a nap. The suspect was passed out in a stolen luxury SUV on the street and woke up to police officers knocking on the window. Then they discovered the man is connected to a federal investigation related to mail theft. 

Texas police bust mail thief napping in stolen luxury SUV 

Police officers in Texas responded to a Flock alert on a stolen luxury SUV. They tracked a Mercedes GLE. Also, It was taken from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to an area near Audelia Road and Walnut Street. 

Flock uses cloud-connected cameras to pull license plate readings into a server. It allows officers to perform nationwide searches to assist in solving crimes with real-time alerts. It notifies officers about stolen cars and wanted suspects. 

Officers could see suspect, identified as 35-year-old Loi Lien, sleeping behind the wheel from the street. He could have parked in a more secluded place to nap, but perhaps a life of crime is exhausting. 

Upon searching the Mercedes, investigators found evidence of stolen mail. He is linked to an ongoing federal investigation and details are being shared with the United States Postal Inspectors. According to DPD Beat, Lien was quickly taken into custody without incident. 

He faces charges for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of identifiers, unlawful use of a criminal instrument, possession of a controlled substance under one gram, and a theft warrant out of Collin County. 

The Dallas Police Department shares that the officer’s “diligence and attention to detail helped strengthen another agency’s case and demonstrated outstanding teamwork and professionalism.”