LPD: Man entered multiple homes while running from officers in south Lincoln

Authorities arrested two people Tuesday after a traffic stop in south Lincoln. 

Authorities arrested two people Tuesday after a traffic stop in south Lincoln.

Shortly after noon, Lincoln police officers responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle in the 1200 block of Hill Street. A nearby resident called police saying the vehicle’s doors were open and the driver had been honking its horn for several hours.

When officers arrived, they found 29-year-old Mariah Rodriguez in the passenger seat. As officers were trying to verify her information, a man – identified by police as 41-year-old Randy Whiteley – approached the car and tried to lock the doors, police said.

Whiteley became upset when officers told him to back away, and he eventually walked away from the scene, police said.

Meanwhile, officers confirmed Rodriguez had an outstanding warrant and asked her to get out of the vehicle. When she got out, officers saw a bag of what appeared to be meth in the car.

Shortly after, Whiteley came back to the car and officers tried to detain him because of the drugs that were found. Whiteley then took off running through residential backyards near South 12th St. and Hill St., police said.

Officers set up a perimeter, and a K9 unit and the Nebraska State Patrol helicopter were brought in to help with the search.

Around 1:30, a resident called LPD saying a man had run into a home near South 14th St. and Van Dorn St. Police say Whiteley had entered multiple homes while running from officers, and had damaged the garage door of another residence.

Officers eventually found Whiteley in an attic crawl space.

Officers arrested Whiteley for possession of a controlled substance, two counts of criminal trespass, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, and fail to obey lawful order of a police officer. Officers arrested Rodriguez for possession of a controlled substance.