On Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 3:59 a.m., Beaumont Police responded to Gulf Coast Auto Auction located at 450 S. 11th Street in reference to a possible auto thefts in progress. The caller advised that 6-7 suspects were on the property attempting to steal vehicles. When Officers arrived on scene, the suspects were already gone. A BPD Officer located a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed with no headlights near 11th and Calder. The Officer initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle but the driver fled. BPD Officers pursued the fleeing suspects for a short time. The driver of the suspect vehicle lost control near Lamar University where the vehicle wrecked and 6 black male suspects fled on foot. Assisted by Lamar PD, BPD Officers eventually took 5 of the 6 suspects into custody.
Cornelius Cunningham, a 17 year old Pearland resident (pictured below) was arrested and transported to the Jefferson County Jail. The other four suspects were all juvenile black males ages 13, 13, 15 and 16. They were all placed under arrest and transported to the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Detention Center. The suspects were arrested for various charges.
