Councilman helps arrest burglary suspect
Denis Bilodeau chases suspect who allegedly stole from a neighbor's open garage.
Councilman Denis Bilodeau took fighting crime into his own hands.
The first-term councilman from Orange spotted a man suspected of trying to break into a car and kept watching.
The incident occurred as the councilman was driving home just after 3 a.m. Saturday and noticed a man walking in his neighborhood.
“I know all my neighbors in my tract,” Bilodeau said. “But I didn’t recognize him.”
He watched as the suspect entered a neighbor’s open garage. He allegedly took an iPod from a vehicle parked inside.
As the suspect walked out of the garage, he noticed Bilodeau. The councilman called the police as the man took off. Another suspect joined him on foot and continued running away moments later. The second man, Sean Casey Sheets, 26, turned back toward Bilodeau’s car.
“Sheets tried to chase after me in an attempt to scare me off,” Bilodeau said. “He even ran up to my car and hit it. You can see the dent he made.” Sheets is 6 feet 8. Bilodeau is 5-9.
The two men jumped into the passenger seats of a waiting silver Acura, a woman at the wheel. Bilodeau drove after the car onto the northbound 55 Freeway.
The Acura driver slammed on the brakes and stopped in an attempt to lose Bilodeau. He went in reverse to stay behind the car. Sheets jumped out of the Acura and started running toward the councilman’s car. That’s when the Orange police arrived and arrested him.
The two other suspects took off in the Acura, but Bilodeau wrote down their license plate number.
Sheets faces vandalism charges for hitting the councilman’s car.
Auto burglars have been hitting his East Orange neighborhood a lot, Bilodeau said. His laptop was stolen last year from his car that was parked in front of his home.
“I think it’s because we are so close to the freeway,” he said. “My neighbors and I are stepping up our Neighborhood Watch program since we’re fed up with this activity.”
Sheets was arrested by Orange police officers on suspicion of vandalism. Sheets had an arrest warrant for driving on a suspended license and other vehicle code violations, Orange police Sgt. Dan Adams said.
Sheets, who was being held at Orange County Jail, posted bail Monday and a court date will be set within 30 days, Orange County sheriff’s officials said.
The other two suspects are still at large.
I think this a very interesting story, Now remember Bilodeau is currently on trial for theft and vandalism himself, related back to his 2006 City Council race against Carol Rudat. Bilodeau was caught on video stealing a sign of another candidate.
I think also that Bilodeau should exercise better judgement, he was racing around the streets chasing this suspect and was driving in reverse on the freeway. Bilodeau could have been injured or worst, and lets also think of all the people he endangered to make sure he gets a news story.
Bilodeau, my only word of advice, let the Orange Police do their job!
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