Police: Man Helps Chase Down Injured Thief

Editor's Note: This report was updated 8:05 a.m. on Jan. 10.

A knife-wielding man was arrested after he tried crawling away with an injured ankle from a man chasing him for stealing his girlfriend's credit card, police said Monday.

Jeffrey W. Caton, 38, of Fremont was arrested after police identified him as the suspect in a series of criminal acts Friday afternoon, police said in a statement.

Police first identified Caton around 1:48 p.m., approximately 45 minutes after a robbery had occurred at off Thornton Avenue. While investigating, officers said they learned Caton waved a knife while threatening security personnel when they tried to capture him for stealing equipment.

Approximately an hour later, police responded to at where employees reported their credit cards and debit cards and an iPod had been stolen from the backroom and learned the suspect’s description matched Caton’s.

At about 4 p.m., a Work World employee learned her credit card that was stolen earlier was being used at Twilight Zone Gift and Smoke Shop on the 5900 block of Mowry Avenue.

Police said the woman's boyfriend went to the shop and saw Caton nearby. Once he saw the boyfriend, Caton ran toward Cedar Boulevard and the manfollowed. Caton threatened the man with a knife.

Caton climbed a concrete wall, with the man following, and he injured his right foot, police said. Then, he attempted to crawl away and continued to flash the knife at the man.

Police found Caton in a back yard of a home on the 6200 block of Quartz Place. He was taken to a local hospital and then was arrested on suspicion of second-degree robbery, exhibiting a deadly weapon and theft.

He was booked into Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled to appear at the Fremont Hall of Justice for an arraignment at 2 p.m.