Police quickly caught and arrested a Capitol Hill motorcycle thief Friday evening, after he rode past the West Precinct and collided with an SPD employee’s car.
At 6:40 p.m., a man called 911 to report his motorcycle had just been stolen from the 1700 block of Summit Avenue. The victim saw the suspect ride past his apartment window, and he was sure it was his motorcycle because of its distinct orange color.
About ten minutes later, an SPD employee reported a man riding an orange motorcycle had struck her car as she pulled into a driveway of the West Precinct. The suspect fled the scene of the collision, but was soon spotted by officers several blocks away. The suspect was driving on the sidewalk when officers stopped him near 1st Avenue and Pine Street – roughly twenty minutes after the bike was stolen.
The motorcycle owner came to the scene to collect his bike and easily identified the thief by his bright yellow shirt. The 37-year-old suspect was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle, hit and run, and DUI. He was booked into the King County Jail.