Man steals, crashes car with child in back seat in Capitol Hill

SEATTLE — A 32-year-old man was arrested Thursday morning after he stole a car with an infant in the back seat, then got into a collision and fled the scene, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Just after 11 a.m., multiple 911 callers reported a rollover collision at 12th Avenue and East Olive Street in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Witnesses told police that the driver of a Toyota sedan drove into an unoccupied parked car, causing the Toyota to flip, before they fled the scene.

After arriving at the scene, officers learned the Toyota had an infant in the back seat and had just been stolen.

The infant’s father was reportedly working a delivery job a few blocks away and left his daughter in the running car while he ran to make a delivery.

After making the delivery, he saw the suspect drive away in his car, with his daughter still inside. The father ran after his car until it crashed and flipped over.

The child remained buckled into her car seat and was uninjured in the crash.

Officers arrested the suspect, who was spotted walking past the East Precinct after he fled the scene of the crash and was identified by witnesses.

Seattle Fire Department medics transported the suspect to Harborview Medical Center to be evaluated.

Once he is cleared, he will be booked into the King County Jail on charges of kidnapping and theft of a motor vehicle, with additional charges requested for DUI, reckless driving, and hit-and-run.

©2022 Cox Media Group