July 12, 2023 (Omaha, Neb.) — A multi-agency effort led to the arrest of four men in Omaha and the recovery of thousands of dollars of electronics items stolen from Best Buy in Grand Island.
At approximately 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, a group of men were reported stealing numerous items from the Best Buy in Grand Island. The group was observed leaving the store in a Ford Expedition. Several law enforcement agencies began searching for the vehicle as it was believed to be traveling eastbound from Grand Island.
Law enforcement located the vehicle, which was determined to be stolen, as it was traveling eastbound on Highway 92 in Saunders County. A Wahoo Police officer attempted a traffic stop, but the suspects’ vehicle struck the officer’s cruiser and fled. Omaha Police helicopter Able-1 began tracking the vehicle from the air until it came to a stop in a neighborhood near 168th and Maple in Omaha.
Pilots directed units on the ground to the area as the four suspects fled on foot. Officers from several law enforcement agencies, including the Omaha Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Wahoo Police Department, and Nebraska State Patrol, began a search of the area. Three of the suspects were located and taken into custody within ten minutes. The fourth suspect was located and taken into custody approximately two hours later. Officers located nearly $10,000 worth of stolen electronics inside the Expedition.
The four suspects, identified as Shakur Houston, 22, Johnathon Thorne, 21, Huthaifa Mesfin, 20, and Johnathan Semans, 28, all of Omaha, were arrested for flight to avoid arrest and theft by receiving stolen property – $5,000 or more. Mesfin and Semans were also cited for possession of marijuana – less than one ounce. All four were lodged in Douglas County Jail.
Additional charges are pending in Hall and Saunders Counties. The investigation remains ongoing, with cooperation from several agencies involved in Tuesday’s incidents.
