King County prosecutors filed charges May 17 of theft of a motor vehicle and attempting to elude police against a 34-year-old man in connection with the May 12 theft of a pickup truck and a 15-mile chase with Kent Police before he was caught.
Casey Lee Cox, a local transient with a last known address of Seattle, is accused of stealing a Ford F-250 pickup and reaching speeds of more than 100 mph trying to get away from police before he crashed the vehicle in the 5400 block of South 178th Street in Tukwila, according to charging papers.
Cox has five prior felony car-theft convictions and two misdemeanor car-theft convictions. He remained May 17 in the city of Kent jail on $100,000 bail.
Cox is scheduled to be arraigned 9 a.m. May 27 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Kent Police initially arrested Cox for investigation vehicle theft and attempting to elude police, according to a Kent Police media release.
Kent Police were alerted shortly after midnight May 13 that Cox, known to officers for a history of stealing vehicles, was driving a stolen pickup on Kent’s West Hill.
Minutes later, police spotted a man driving a late-model Ford F-250 pickup along Military Road South.
Officers followed the vehicle north on Interstate 5 then north on I-405 as well as along South 180th Street, where Cox reached speeds of more than 100 mph in a posted 35-mph speed zone.
During the pursuit, officers were unsuccessful as they tried utilizing spike strips as well a patrol car to bump the truck into a spin.
Each time patrol cars approached the pickup, Cox swerved the truck toward the pursuing officers. King County’s Guardian One helicopter joined in the chase.
Eventually, Cox lost control of the pickup and struck a concrete barrier along South 178th Street in Tukwila. There were no injuries to Cox or officers.
Cox told police he had stolen the truck from along Rainier Avenue South, just north of the Renton Airport, according to charging papers. He told detectives he broke into the passenger side door of the locked pickup, removed a brake-lock from the vehicle to get it in motion and punched the ignition to get the pickup started.
Cox said to detectives that he is “an adrenaline junky” and that stealing vehicles is a much better high than using methamphetamine. He said he wanted to reach speeds of more than 120 mph because he figured police would then stop chasing him.
Kent Police worked with the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (a task force of several police agencies) to track down the man.
“This arrest highlights the success of the on-going partnership between local police, the Auto Theft Prevention Authority and our prosecutors,” said Kent Police Chief Steve Strachan.
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