Botched helicopter heist suspect found 2 days later in plane at another Sacramento area airport, court docs say
By Daniel Macht
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — A man suspected of trying to steal helicopters and crashing one at Sacramento Executive Airport earlier this year was found two days after the botched chopper heist inside a small plane at a nearby airport, according to a court document.
The document, a request for a search warrant to obtain the man’s DNA that a federal judge approved on March 21, also says that an EBT card found inside the wrecked helicopter linked the suspect to the heist. It does not appear, though, that the man, identified as 20-year-old Jaden Edwards, has been charged in connection with the heist.
A spokesperson for the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of California said that “this is an ongoing investigation, so no comment about charges at this time.”
The search warrant request by an FBI agent was filed in federal court for the Eastern District of California on March 21 and was obtained by KCRA 3 after being unsealed.
The agent sheds new light on how investigators believe the brazen heist unfolded overnight over a more than two-hour span at Sacramento Executive Airport on March 15.
At around 2:39 a.m., a person began to tamper with equipment at the airport, according to the timeline. They were able to start one helicopter but damaged or destroyed an engine in the process. Next, the person failed to start a second helicopter. An attempt on a third helicopter got the engine to start, but a low battery kept the aircraft from staying on. The fourth time was the charm.
Capitol Helicopters video surveillance footage captured the crash after the person got the fourth helicopter to start around 4:50 a.m., according to the document.
The footage showed the chopper’s turbine blade begin to turn before the helicopter started “rocking up and down, turning slightly, then, after a moment, quickly flying upwards off the ground a little and then flipping violently over onto its side where it came to a rest.”
Investigators found an EBT card with Edwards’ name in the cockpit and later learned that a man who matched his description made a purchase at an ampm across the street from the airport at 1:02 a.m. on March 15, according to the document.
FBI investigators collected potential DNA samples in all four helicopters.
Two days later, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office found Edwards at Mather Airport inside a small Cessna airplane, according to the document.
He allegedly told officers that he was trying to start the plane, but it was out of fuel, according to the document.
The request for taking samples of Edwards’ DNA said he was being housed at the Sacramento County jail. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that Edwards was sent to Nevada to face charges in connection with another case.
KCRA 3 has not yet confirmed Edwards’ current whereabouts. An online search of jail records in Clark County did not see his name listed.
This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for the latest.
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