Two men were arrested in two separate incidents over the weekend thanks to assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol AirWing. Around 11:00 Friday night a trooper saw a vehicle speeding near 70th and O Street and attempted a traffic stop.
The patrol says the driver turned northbound onto Skyway Road and hit the gas. The trooper did not give chase because NSP pilots were able to get a view of the vehicle from the air. Another trooper attempted a traffic stop near 79th and Holdrege, but the vehicle fled a second time. NSP continued to track the vehicle as it drove through a yard and struck a parked car.
The driver then stopped the vehicle on Glendale Road and fled on foot. With the help of a homeowner, troopers arrested 19 year old Maliq Coleman of Lincoln hiding in the garage attic rafters. He was booked into the Lancaster County Jail on several charges.
The second incident happened around 9:20 Saturday night when a trooper tried to make a traffic stop on a motorcycle near 27th and Superior Streets. The rider fled at a high rate of speed. Once again the NSP helicopter tracked the suspect from the air.
The rider stopped and went into a home near 7th and Y Streets. Troopers arrived and attempted to contact the rider, but he refused to come out for several minutes. 21-year-old Alejandro Martinez of Omaha was eventually arrested on a variety of charges. He was booked into the Lancaster County Jail.