TV Tip Trips Up Alleged ‘Prime-Time Prowler’
A man suspected being of the Colorado “Prime Time Prowler” was arrested in Chula Vista this week, based on a tip that stemmed from a television crime-fighting program, Chula Vista police said Thursday.
The circumstances surrounding the Wednesday capture of Ronnie Hill, 37, began when a Chula Vista resident recognized him from a recent episode of “America’s Most Wanted,” a TV show that asks viewers to help find fugitives by calling a toll-free number with tips.
The Chula Vista resident called police in Denver to say that Hill--who is suspected of burglarizing dozens of homes throughout Colorado--might be living in an apartment in the 500 block of McIntosh Street. Denver police, in turn, notified Chula Vista police, who captured Hill after a short foot chase near the apartment, according to Chula Vista Police Lt. Dean Girdner.
The Prime Time Prowler received his nickname because he burglarized residences when people were at home eating dinner or watching television. After making sure that everyone in the house was in one room, he would sneak into another room unnoticed, police explained.
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