Carjacking Suspect Arrested After Kid Sitting in the Back Seat Takes Action
It’s not clear what a dad needed from a Walmart in Pennsylvania when he made a quick stop one day in late November, but he reportedly left his Toyota SUV running in the parking lot with his three boys in the backseat while he went inside the store.
The ages of the boys were 7, 12 and 15, according to the Sun Herald.
Meanwhile, another man allegedly spotted an opportunity, WGAL-TV reported. The man saw the SUV, jumped in, and took off out of the Walmart parking lot, according to authorities.
The store is in Straban Township in the Gettysburg area, and it was about 5 p.m. on Nov. 20 as the man allegedly sped down Route 15.
The boys said they repeatedly asked the man to stop, but he ignored their pleas, according to court records, per the Sun Herald. One of the children said he could smell alcohol emanating from the man.
Then one of the boys got the smart idea to call 911 on his cellphone. That boy was able to give the police updates on the locations where the man led state troopers on a high-speed chase.
Police said they clocked the man at speeds of over 120 mph.
The chase, which began in Adams County, finally ended in York County, where police were able to box in the SUV and take the man into custody.
Upon pulling him out of the vehicle, police said he was “visibly intoxicated.”
They also said he admitted he was “really drunk,” according to the Sun Herald.
When asked about his motive for allegedly stealing the SUV, the man said his car had run out of gas, authorities said, according to WGAL.
They said the man admitted he walked around the Walmart parking lot looking for a vehicle he could steal and then came across the Toyota SUV.
After he got in, he said he heard the pleas of the boys to stop and let them go, but he was trying to get to Harrisburg, where he allegedly intended to buy drugs.
The man, 44-year-old Jason Harris of York Springs, was charged with DUI, three counts of kidnapping and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to WGAL.
By God’s grace, the children were unharmed and will be able to safely enjoy another Christmas with family and friends this year.
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