A man who allegedly led police on a 35-mile car chase was jailed recently. Washington police claim that prior to the chase he had stolen a laptop and a vehicle at gunpoint. He is charged with first degree robbery and a judge set his bail at $150,000.
The incident apparently began when a 39-year-old man arranged to purchase a laptop from a woman and man he had met online. When he showed up to purchase the laptop, he initially entered the backseat of the sellers’ vehicle, while the woman and man selling the laptop were both seated in the front. He examined the laptop then complained that the screen appeared to be broken. At that point the woman exited the driver’s seat and went to the back to examine the problem, while the buyer moved to the driver’s seat.
Authorities say that the buyer then drove off with both sellers in the vehicle, although he later pulled over to let them out. Only the woman exited the vehicle at the time. She located an area police officer and reported that the buyer had stolen her car and possibly shot the man she was with, as she had heard a gunshot shortly after getting out. The driver had not shot the man, though, and had apparently fired a shot into the sky to encourage him to leave.
When police located the vehicle, the driver is said to have refused to stop at first, leading authorities on a chase. When he did finally stop, he said he thought they were trying to pull him over for speeding. He reportedly said he did not want to stop because he knew that he had an arrest warrant.
Although he initially denied having a gun or meeting up with anyone to buy a laptop, he was arrested and charged for both. In addition to the robbery charge, he is also facing charges for trying to elude police. These charges can carry potentially serious consequences, such as fines and jail time, so Washington defendants may want to consider speaking with an attorney who is experienced in handling these types of accusations.