Baby found inside truck after Olympia police chase on I-5, sheriff says
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said on social media on Thursday that a sergeant used a grappler to stop a woman who fled in a stolen vehicle with a baby inside.
Sanders told The Olympian the pursuit happened around 6:30 a.m. He posted about the incident at around 4 p.m. on April 30. He said Olympia police were notified of an auto theft in progress. Officers and deputies located the truck on I-5 and attempted to stop it, but the truck fled, he said.
He said the pursuit went through a construction zone before a deputy spiked the truck. A sergeant equipped with a grappler system on their vehicle was then able to bring the truck to a stop.
“Initially, deputies set up for a standard high-risk stop with K9 Asher,” Sanders said. “After the suspect exited the vehicle deputies observed her holding a baby.”
He said K9 Asher was put away, deputies intervened instead, and the suspect and baby were taken into custody safely.
Sanders said the woman was turned over to the Olympia Police Department on suspicion of auto theft, eluding and reckless endangerment of a child, domestic violence. The OPD could not be immediately reached for more information.
Sanders told The Olympian that the baby was the woman’s. He said TCSO cared for the baby until Child Protective Services could arrive and take the child into state custody.
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 5:39 PM.
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