A four-time convicted felon in Washington state was arrested for the 98th time on Saturday after Thurston County Sheriff's Office deputies chased him off the highway at a speed topping 100mph following a retail theft spree across multiple counties. Investigators recovered thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise, along with methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl from the suspects' vehicle.
A man with 97 prior arrests is back in custody after what authorities describe as a brazen, multi-county shoplifting run that ended in a 100mph pursuit through downtown Olympia, a foot chase near an elementary school, and a drug haul that included a bong built into the truck's dashboard.
Deputies with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) spotted the suspects' pickup truck on Interstate 5 near Olympia, Washington, on Saturday. Before a stop could be initiated, the driver accelerated. Radio traffic and body-worn camera footage released by TCSO captured deputies calling out speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour as the vehicle raced toward the city center.
Officers called off the initial pursuit when the truck entered dense urban streets and intersections, citing public safety. A second attempt was also paused as the driver ran red lights at speeds near 80 mph heading toward Lacey. Deputies later located the truck abandoned near College Street.
The suspects fled on foot toward a residential neighborhood and in the direction of a nearby elementary school. A K9 team tracked and apprehended both individuals within minutes. A video released by the sheriff's office shows deputies confronting the pair at gunpoint, ordering them to show their hands and walk backwards before taking them into custody.
Inside the truck, investigators say they found thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise along with methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Authorities also described finding a custom-built bong embedded in the dashboard, which they allege was designed to allow the driver to use drugs while operating the vehicle. A blood-draw warrant was obtained as part of a driving under the influence (DUI) investigation.
"Tonight, he is back in jail for the 98th time on charges of DUI, eluding, and possession of narcotics. Nice work by deputies and dispatchers to get some career criminals into custody... again." — Sheriff Derek Sanders, Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders identified the primary suspect as a four-time convicted felon. Additional organized retail theft charges are expected to be filed in Lewis County. The second suspect was transferred to another department in connection with a separate theft case.
Authorities say the pair conducted the theft spree across several counties before being spotted on I-5, at times using stolen shopping bags from one retailer to conceal merchandise taken from another, a tactic associated with organized retail theft networks.
The case arrives as Washington law enforcement agencies have intensified focus on repeat-offender retail crime. King County prosecutors filed 640 felony economic and property crime cases in 2025, up from 506 in 2024 and 367 in 2023, driven in part by increased referrals involving organized theft and high-frequency repeat suspects, according to Washington Retail, the state's retail trade association.
A user posting on Reddit captured the prevailing public reaction: "98 arrests and still out. At what point does the system acknowledge it isn't working for anyone, including him?"
