15-year-old leads LPD on high speed chase

Published 12:52 pm Monday, January 15, 2018

A 15-year-old allegedly involved in a theft at the LaGrange Mall led police on a high-speed chase Jan. 6.

The juvenile and three others were allegedly involved in a shoplifting at the LaGrange Mall, according to a LaGrange Police Department report. An officer patrolling Glenn Robertson Street, observed two vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed and running stop signs. The officer turned on his emergency blue lights to try to pull over the black vehicle, a Nissan Altima, but the vehicle sped up, according to the report. The officer said he was traveling as fast as 89 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone.

The vehicle nearly had a collision at the stop sign at Brown Street and Glenn Robertson. The vehicle actually stopped six inches from another vehicle to avoid a collision, but both occupants jumped out of the car and ran from police. Minutes later, a second officer stopped the other vehicle, a red Hyundai Sonata. The driver of that vehicle said he was racing the other vehicle, according to the report. He was issued citations for stop sign violation, racing on city streets and failure to use a turn signal.

After the near collision, officers got in contact with the black vehicle’s owner. She then contacted the driver, the 15-year-old. He admitted to police that he had handed over a polo shirt to a female friend at Belk, knowing she had the intent to steal it. Security tried to stop them, but they ran out of the store, and he and another friend jumped in the black vehicle.

He told officers he got scared when the police car appeared behind him because he didn’t have a license and had just run a stop sign. He was issued three stop sign violations, reckless driving, racing on highway or streets, operating a vehicle without a driver’s license, improper passing, fleeing to elude and theft by shoplifting.

2-year-old hit by rock

Police investigated a disturbance on Hines Street after receiving a call about a 2-year-old that had been struck by a rock through the window of a car. The call came in around 4:45 p.m. on Jan. 6.

A female victim told police that a male without a shirt on threw a large rock through the rear window of her SUV, striking her child, who was sitting inside the car. Three males were identified and charges were pending for disorderly conduct and obstruction, according to the police report.

All information in this report is gathered from official law enforcement and public safety reports and releases.