Hit And Run Suspect Tied To Crime By Dentures Left Behind

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A hit and run driver who slammed into two parked cars in a stolen truck was captured after running away on foot and leaving his dentures behind.

Sacramento Police arrested 53-year-old James R. Brown just after midnight Friday morning in the 7700 block of 24th Street.

Officers were in the area when someone flagged them down to say a driver had just crashed into his parked car and then fled on foot. The witness said the suspect was bloody and hurt from the crash.

Officers searched the area and found Brown nearby and arrested him.

Upon investigating, officers learned the suspect had hit two cars and damaged the fences and landscaping of two homes.

Officers were able to link Brown to the stolen truck in the hit and runs after finding his dentures on the floor board. The false teeth had apparently flown out of his mouth when the truck's airbag deployed in the crash.

Brown has been booked in the Sacramento County Main Jail for vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, hit and run property damage and giving false identification. He's being held without bail.

The false identification charge comes because Brown told the arresting officers his name was Hackett. A records check on Hackett revealed an outstanding escapee warrant out of Washington State.

According to the Sheriff's Department online booking information, Hackett is just one of 15 aliases used by Brown.