CAUGHT: Police arrest man accused in 'Grand Theft Auto' style carjacking

William Westmoreland (Photo: Washington State Patrol)



SEATTLE – A carjacking suspect was arrested at the Travel Lodge near U-Village in Seattle on Tuesday.

Police had been hunting for 38-year-old William Westmoreland of Standwood since Monday afternoon when the bizarre carjacking took place on I-5.

Police said Katie Baker was headed south on the interstate around 3:00pm near 112th Street in Everett when a motorcycle driven by Westmoreland hit her from beind.

Other vehicles stopped and drivers got out of their cars to help.

“At that point, he went into another car that stopped and tried to drive off in that and luckily they stopped him and took the keys away, and then he tried to go back to his bike and get on and start riding that and, of course, they stopped him with that, too,” Baker said.

Police said Westmoreland has a long criminal history and even before the crash had a felony warrant out for his arrest.

Police suspect the motorcycle he was riding was stolen because it was hot-wired and the VIN number had been filed off.

After the crash, police say, Westmoreland ran across I-5 to a nearby South Everett neighborhood.

“He was described as bleeding from the head, extremely erratic, reeked of alcohol, was out of his mind and was not coherent. He was trying to get out of there,” Washington State Patrol Sgt. James Arnold said.

In that neighborhood, the crazed, bloodied man allegedly stole a silver Mazda Miata and sped away.

“Wow, and after everything else happened with him trying to steal the car and all that other stuff, it’s really … it seems more like ‘Grand Theft Auto’stuff, you know?” Baker said.