‘Prolific’ car thief evades police in three-county chase with girlfriend, 4-year-old son inside

A “prolific” car thief with several outstanding warrants, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP), led police in a pursuit stretching three counties all while his girlfriend and four-year-old son were in the car.

The police pursuit ended in a South Seattle neighborhood after the suspect took off on foot, leaving his girlfriend and young son behind.

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The chase began in Pierce County at approximately 9:45 a.m. Sunday when a deputy determined a Ford F-550 pickup was stolen after calls came in about a man “slumped” behind the wheel of a truck, according to KING 5.

“When dispatch ran that plate, they found it was a stolen vehicle out of Bothell,” Sergeant Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department told KING 5. “The suspect decided that he was not going to slow down or pull over.”

The pursuit was on after the driver took off, striking two vehicles in the process before jumping onto Interstate 5 (I-5). He allegedly drove through King County and then Snohomish County before going back through King County. The pursuit lasted nearly two hours until the suspect gave up on the stolen vehicle on Renton Avenue South. At one point, the suspect made a U-Turn on a highway median and avoided spike strips laid down by authorities.

He jumped out of the vehicle once a tire blew and ran off, leaving his girlfriend and four-year-old son behind. According to KIRO 7, his son was able to identify him to police.

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The suspect remains on the loose, with local authorities initiating a manhunt that is still ongoing.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.