A man fleeing on foot from a stolen car last night on Captiol Hill was caught by officers after a brief foot pursuit.
Last night, at around 6:40 pm, two East Precinct officers responded to the area of 13th Avenue East and East John Street after hearing reports of a stolen black Pontiac Grand Am driving in that area. A check of the license plate showed that it was a stolen vehicle reported to Bellevue Police Department. The two officers arrived in the area and decided to check the Safeway parking lot in the 1400 Block of East John. As the officers were driving through the lot, they spotted the Pontiac parked in the corner of the lot, facing west. The officers verified the license plate as the reported stolen car.
The officers pulled their patrol car in behind the vehicle. A tall, thin white male was standing next to the open right rear passenger door. It appeared that he was reaching into the car. There was also a bicycle next to him. As the officers pulled in behind the car, they turned on their spotlight and overhead lights. The man looked at the patrol car, and then ran towards 14th Avenue East.
The two officers gave chase, catching the suspect before he could reach 14th. As he was being taken into custody, he said, “You got me.”
The 39-year-old suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Auto Theft. The stolen car was impounded and Bellevue Police Department was notified of the recovery. The bike was submitted into evidence.