Three burglary suspects were arrested early Wednesday morning by Jefferson County Sheriff’s officers after a car chase and manhunt that began in Meriden.

A fourth suspect was arrested later in Topeka, Undersheriff Jeff Herrig said.

At 3:43 a.m., an officer responded to a burglar alarm at K-4 Mini Storage in Meriden and arrived three minutes later. The suspects scrambled into a van and were pursued by the officer. The van missed a curve about 5 miles south of town and struck some trees. The suspects fled on foot.

The officer, identified as Kevin Gibson, had a dog with him and was able to track down one suspect who was hiding near a swimming pool at a residence, Herrig said. Two other suspects – a man and a woman – were caught after a tow truck driver who was picking up the van saw them walking along a road, the undersheriff said.

Helicopters from the Topeka Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol aided the search. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks also assisted.

Two officers searching for the fourth suspect found themselves knee- to waist-deep in water after they dropped through ice trying to cross a creek, Herrig said. They were not hurt. The search was called off a short time later, he said.

“I figured they’d had enough, and I didn’t want anyone to get frostbite,” Herrig said. “They were like bird dogs, though. It was hard to pull them off the trail.”

Late in the morning, the fourth suspect was arrested at a home in Topeka, where all four suspects are from, Herrig said. Formal charges are pending. Three storage units were broken into, and officers found a few stolen items in the van.

“I don’t think they had enough time to load very much up,” Herrig said.