This is one way to catch a criminal.

A most-wanted rape suspect in Tennessee was caught by authorities while hiding in a trash can.

The suspect initially went undetected by officers on the ground, but was captured after a police helicopter detected heat coming from a trash can that was in the vicinity where the officers were searching.

WSMV gave the play-by-play on how officers found the suspect:

The Metro Nashville Police Department released helicopter video of the arrest of a most wanted rape suspect in Nashville.

Police said that 26-year-old Kevin D. Haynes was wanted on a statutory rape indictment and was on the city’s Most Wanted list for months.

Haynes ran into an East Nashville neighborhood Sunday night after officers spotted him in a parking lot.

“Haynes quickly learned that a trash can is not a good place to hide when there’s an MNPD helicopter with a thermal camera above,” MNPD said.

“So, you’ll see an HVAC unit just around the corner. And it could be a fence separating the backyard from the front,” the officer in the chopper radioed down to officers searching for Haynes.

“If you’re looking at the trash cans, once you see them, the one on the left side is glowing red hot.”

“I think we got him in the trash cans,” the officers respond as the suspect is arrested.

“Air 1, I owe you dinner,” the officers said to the chopper.

“I like ribeye steak,” the officer in the chopper replied.

The old saying goes “You are what you eat,” but in this suspect’s case, you are where you hide.

Here’s the video footage from the helicopter:

Helicopter Express shared details on how thermal imaging, as the one used in the capture of the suspect, works:

Imagine a tool that allows you to see what’s invisible to the naked eye. Think pipes leaking underground, power lines about to fail, or missing persons trapped beneath rubble after a natural disaster. That’s the promise of thermal imaging, a specialized technology that uses infrared sensors to detect heat variations and translate them into usable data.

When mounted on helicopters and properly stabilized, thermal imaging sensors can scan massive areas quickly and accurately. This technology enables individuals in a wide variety of industries to quickly identify potential issues, improve safety, and make smarter decisions. Whether detecting energy loss in buildings or guiding aerial firefighters through heavy smoke, helicopter-mounted sensors deliver insights that ground-based tools simply cannot.

Let’s explore how thermal imaging works, the different types of sensors and lenses available, and the many industries that benefit from this technology. You’ll also see real-world applications and learn why helicopter-based thermal imaging is becoming an essential tool for missions in the modern world.

Thermal imaging, also commonly referred to as infrared imaging, is the process of detecting heat signatures that are naturally emitted from objects. Specialized sensors capture subtle differences in temperature and convert this data into images.

Whereas traditional cameras capture visible light, thermal cameras don’t require light at all. Instead, they “see” heat variations. This makes thermal imaging technology extremely useful in complete darkness or through elements that obscure light, like smoke or fog.

Helicopter-mounted thermal sensors provide speed, access to hard-to-reach places, and a unique bird’s-eye-view that ground-based sensors simply cannot match.