Citizens chase, capture Redding burglar who stole woman’s purse

REDDING — A Redding probationer was arrested after citizens chased him down and detained him for officers, after catching the man burglarizing a vehicle and stealing a woman’s purse Wednesday morning, Nov. 20.

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Redding police officers responded to a call of a possible robbery in progress around 11:15 a.m., Redding Police Sgt. Eric Forsberg.

911 callers reported several citizens had chased after and detained a man suspected of breaking into a vehicle and stealing a woman’s purse.

Officers arrested Christian Ackley after witnesses and good Samaritans chased him down and held him when he was caught burglarizing a woman’s vehicle in Redding. RPD photo

When officers arrived, they found several people detaining 21-year-old, Christian Ackley, of Redding.

During their subsequent investigation, officers interviewed the burglary victim, as well as numerous witnesses and good Samaritans who came to the victim’s aid after seeing her chasing Ackley, as he fled with the woman’s purse.

Officers learned the victim spotted Ackley, who is currently on probation out of Shasta County, inside her vehicle and confronted him as he rummaged through her belongings.

Once confronted, Ackley ran off with the victim’s purse, according to Forsberg.

“Several witnesses were in the area and watched as the victim chased after Ackley,” explained Forsberg. “The citizens were able to catch Ackley and the victim’s property was recovered and returned to her.”

Based on their investigation, officers arrested Ackley and he was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of burglary and violation of probation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident and arrest is encouraged to contact Redding PD at (530) 225-4200.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 48, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 29 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 16 grandchildren.