Teen Allegedly Steals Car(s), Leads Deputies On Lengthy High-Speed Pursuit

A 14-year-old boy is in police custody after allegedly stealing at least one vehicle in Okanogan County and leading deputies on a high-speed pursuit that covered roughly 60 miles late Wednesday afternoon.

Okanogan County Undersheriff Dave Yarnell says it all began just before 5 p.m. in the town of Okanogan when a deputy went to check on a vehicle that was later discovered to have been reported as stolen out of Bridgeport.

"As the deputy started to get out of his patrol car to check on the vehicle, a young male popped up in the driver's seat, turned around and looked at the deputy before starting the car and ramming into the deputy's patrol cruiser in reverse."

The driver then sped away and led deputies on a lengthy pursuit which initially went north into Omak, then south onto Old U.S. Highway 97 to U.S. Highway 97, before turning onto State Route 17 to Bridgeport, and finally onto State Route 173 to Brewster.

"During this time, the suspect driver was swerving all over the road," says Yarnell. "He was also driving head-on into oncoming traffic at speeds that were averaging between eighty and one-hundred miles an hour."

The pursuit ended when the suspect turned onto a side street in Brewster and the vehicle he was driving became stuck as it went over some railroad tracks.

The boy was arrested and booked into the Okanogan County Juvenile Detention Center on several felony charges, including vehicle theft, eluding law enforcement, assault, and using a vehicle as a weapon.

Yarnell says it was later learned that the 14-year-old had also possibly stolen another vehicle in Okanogan County with the help of an unknown accomplice.

"Allegedly, he had stolen a car in Bridgeport with an associate and they drove that car to Okanogan where they split up and his associate stole another car, which turned out to be the car that was originally reported as being stolen."

Yarnell adds the pair also allegedly arrived in Bridgeport by stealing a separate vehicle.

"They made it to Bridgeport by allegedly stealing another car in Davenport. They drove that stolen car to Bridgeport where they left it parked next to the car that they stole in Bridgeport."

The second suspect has not been identified and police are seeking any information about that individual, who is believed to be another juvenile male.

The vehicle that the pair allegedly stole in Okanogan - a silver 2017 Kia Sportage with Washington license plate no. BOK1733 - has also yet to be recovered.