Vigilance by a determined Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy helped nabbed the driver of a stolen pickup truck Sunday within approximately an hour of the crime, 45 miles away.

The victim, who lives on Highway 393 near Crestview, reported spotting someone running through his yard on his surveillance cameras around 9 a.m. At the gate of the residence, the intruder got into the man’s black Ford F150 and drove through a closed gate, causing approximately $500 in damage.

The OCSO quickly put out information on the stolen truck to patrol units and it registered on a Flock camera in south Okaloosa County. An OCSO deputy spotted it traveling on Miracle Strip Parkway and began to follow it.

The deputy made a traffic stop outside a business on Highway 98 in Mary Esther. The driver, 32-year old Terran Chase Shoffner of Baker, is now charged with grand theft of a vehicle, criminal mischief with property damage, and being a habitual traffic offender.

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