On June 27th, at approximately 3:30 AM, a taxi cab operator called 911 to report that his cab had just been stolen from the 1800 Block of Yale Avenue North. According to the driver, he had just picked up a fare near 5th Avenue and Stewart Street and had taken him to the 1800 Block of Yale Ave. N. Once he arrived at the location, the fare refused to get out of the cab. The driver then got out of cab to open the rear door to get him out. Instead of getting out, the fare locked the doors and hopped between the front seats and into the driver’s seat. He fled in the cab, leaving the driver behind.
Officers located the stolen cab with the suspect still in it on the off-ramp to Swift/Albro from southbound I-5. He was arrested without incident. The suspect was extremely intoxicated. Officers determined that he had been involved in a disturbance earlier in the evening in Belltown.
Following his arrest, the suspect was processed for DUI. The 28 year old male was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Auto Theft with additional charges of DUI.