Teen Arrested After Chase, Stolen Vehicle Recovered

MOUNT VERNON, WA – Today around 1:00pm, an off-duty Mount Vernon Police Officer was driving on Freeway Drive near Lion’s Park.  He spotted a 2000 Dodge Neon and recognized it as matching a stolen vehicle case he had taken on the night of February 2, 2016.

The Officer called into the Mount Vernon Police Office and confirmed the vehicle was still listed stolen.  In the meantime, on-duty officers began moving to the area as he followed the vehicle.  The Neon was near 18^th and Fir Streets when an on-duty officer spotted the vehicle.  As the Officer  followed it south on 18^th Street and then east on Highland, the vehicle failed to stop for his emergency lights.  There weren’t any significant vehicle speeds but the Neon did go through the stop sign at North 21^st and Highland Street coming to an abrupt stop in the front yard of the house directly in front of this intersection.

 The driver and passenger immediately fled the stolen vehicle on foot.  The driver headed east towards La Venture Road.  One of the Mount Vernon Officers spotted him and the chase continued to an apartment complex in the 400 Block of North La Venture.  The suspect darted around a corner and then ran into an apartment of a person he did not know.  He gave the apartment owner a story that he was being chased by kids.  The apartment owner sent a text to the neighbor about what had just occurred.  The neighbor went out and spotted the Mount Vernon Officers in the area and told them what was occurring.  The Mount Vernon Officers went to the apartment and found the suspect still there and took him into custody.

Lt. Chris Cammock said “We believe the suspect, a 16-year-old Mount Vernon  juvenile, is the driver of the vehicle and he is being held for Possession of Stolen Property and possibly some additional charges for entering the apartment uninvited.  The other individual who got away is not wanted at this time. ”  There was also a 20-year-old woman, 16-year-old juvenile and 19 month old child in the back seat of the stolen car.  They were not hurt and stayed with the vehicle while police investigated.

 Lt. Chris Cammock told SkagitBreaking.com ” We appreciated all the people who slowed down, stopped their vehicles or avoided the area altogether so we could focus on capturing the suspects.  One can only imagine how scary this must have been for the apartment owner but they kept their wits about them, were creative in signaling for help and were a key to the safe resolution of this incident.  We’re glad the actions of these two juveniles didn’t cause any serious harm.”