There are plenty of places where you wouldn’t expect your vehicle to be stolen. Sitting in the parking lot of a gym before you’ve even stepped inside is probably one of them.
That’s what happened in Spanaway, Washington, where authorities say a 22-year-old man pulled a driver out of his pickup truck before taking off with it. The incident didn’t end there, however, as deputies located the stolen vehicle hours later, leading to a police pursuit and a foot chase through a residential neighborhood.
The incident began at approximately 4:55 am on July 27 outside an LA Fitness located at 15707 Pacific Avenue South in Spanaway. Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deputy Carly Cappetto told The News Tribune that the victim had parked his blue Ford Maverick and was preparing to exit when a 22-year-old man approached the driver’s side door.
According to reporting by The News Tribune, the suspect now faces multiple felony charges in addition to several outstanding warrants from the Washington Department of Corrections.
Deputies Tracked the Stolen Pickup Before a Backyard Foot Chase
Investigators say the suspect opened the door, pulled the victim out of the truck, and drove away in the stolen pickup before deputies could arrive. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate either the suspect or the vehicle immediately after the alleged truckjacking.
Hours later, at around 5 pm, a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office detective reportedly spotted the stolen Ford Maverick at Spanaway Lake Park. As deputies moved in, the suspect climbed into the truck and fled, triggering a pursuit through the Pacific Avenue South corridor.
The chase came to an end in the 15900 block of A Street South, where deputies managed to stop the vehicle. Rather than surrendering, the suspect jumped out of the truck and ran, hopping fences through several residential backyards in an attempt to escape.
Deputies pursued him on foot before eventually locating him hiding underneath a vehicle in the 100 block of 160th Street South. He was taken into custody without any additional incidents reported.
Suspect Faces Multiple Felony Charges and Outstanding Warrants
According to the report, the 22-year-old was booked into the Pierce County Jail and is facing charges that include robbery, possession of stolen property, attempting to elude law enforcement, second-degree driving with a suspended license, and obstructing a law enforcement officer.
Authorities also said the suspect had several active Department of Corrections warrants at the time of his arrest, including warrants related to escape from community custody, third-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, and third-degree malicious mischief.
Additional information concerning the name of the suspect was not revealed, and no injuries were reported during either the initial truckjacking or the later pursuit; the stolen Ford Maverick was successfully recovered by deputies. The investigation remains ongoing.