EL MIRAGE, AZ (AZFamily) — Two suspected car thieves are in custody after officers caught them hiding in a West Valley homeowner’s backyard earlier this week.

On Tuesday, shortly before 11:30 p.m., El Mirage police officers received an alert from the department’s license plate reader system. The alert notified officers that a vehicle stolen out of Phoenix was now in El Mirage city limits.

Officers tracked down the vehicle and attempted to pull over the driver in a neighborhood. However, authorities say the driver sped off, and officers decided not to chase after them for the public’s safety. Instead, authorities positioned themselves at several locations throughout the area.

Within minutes, officers found the vehicle abandoned near 2nd Avenue and Well Street , east of Grand Avenue. O

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