THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — A Thurston County man is in jail Monday after being arrested for the 98th time, according to Sheriff Sanders with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff says the man is a four-time convicted criminal with 27 prior misdemeanors.
This time, he allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase through Olympia after stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from multiple stores.
Deputies say the man and a woman in the truck with him were also involved in a theft in Lacey just three days prior, where they were not apprehended.
On the night of the man’s 98th arrest, deputies spotted the truck heading north on I-5 in Olympia, and before even activating their emergency lights, the truck started to speed off. Deputies chased after him, but quickly stopped after an unsuccessful PIT attempt as the truck sped into downtown Olympia.
The truck began blowing through intersections heading into Lacey, deputies say. They called off the pursuit again due to the “extremely reckless behavior of the fleeing driver.”
A short time later, the truck was found abandoned near College St.
Deputies say they quickly found the pair walking in the neighborhood. Both suspects were reportedly taken into custody at gunpoint.
Deputies confirmed that the woman was turned over to Centralia PD for organized retail theft.
While searching the truck, deputies say they found thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen merchandise from numerous businesses inside. Additionally, the suspect “had a custom bong device built into the dash of the truck so he could comfortably smoke drugs while driving.”
A search warrant was also obtained for the driver’s blood for DUI prosecution.
They say the stolen merchandise was recovered from the truck in addition to meth, heroin, and fentanyl.
Sheriff Sanders says the driver is a four-time convicted felon for numerous thefts, has 27 misdemeanor convictions, and 97 prior arrests. Today, he is back in jail for the 98th time on charges of DUI, eluding, and possession of narcotics.
Deputies say once he’s released from Thurston County Jail, he will face charges of organized retail theft in Lewis County.