205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 04/30/2022 - On Friday evening, 4/29/22, at 7:53 pm, Kittcom dispatchers received a call from a staff member of the Parke Creek Community Facility, a juvenile group detention center northeast of the city of Kittitas. She reported that a 15-year-old male held there escaped after he choked her from behind, demanded her keys, and stole her car.
Responding Kittitas County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the stolen car driving west toward Ellensburg from the group home. When it failed to stop, they pursued based on the danger posed to the public by a violent escapee. The stolen car sped to 80 mph on county roads, drove into the oncoming lane, and drove through a ditch to avoid spike strips deployed to deflate its tires. The 10-mile pursuit was terminated as the car entered the city of Ellensburg, where deputies determined the juvenile’s attempts to elude police would create too great a risk to the public. Information on the suspect and the stolen vehicle was shared with other local and state agencies, and the stolen car was spotted and pursued again twice within an hour. As Washington State Troopers pursued it south on State Route 97 west of Ellensburg around 9 pm, Ellensburg Police Officers deployed spike strips and punctured both front tires. WSP Troopers then utilized a PIT maneuver to stop the car on SR 10 as it drove on its rims. The juvenile escapee was taken into custody for Escape, Assault, Theft of a Motor Vehicle, and Eluding. The Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the support and cooperation of all the local partners who helped bring a safe resolution to what was potentially a very dangerous incident.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Chris Whitsett509-962-7615christopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us