Man beats 84-year-old Yelm woman, steals pickup, leads police on chase

OLYMPIA -- A man brutally beat an 84-year-old Yelm woman Monday morning, stole another person's truck and led police on a high-speed chase throughout Thurston County until deputies forced him to drive into a ditch. The suspect took off on foot, but was later arrested, Thurston County Sheriff's Office said.

The incident began at about 9:30 a.m. outside the Yelm bowling alley, where the 84-year-old woman was waiting in her vehicle. A man opened the door to her vehicle and was attempting to get her keys to steal her vehicle, the sheriff's office said.

"The suspect then proceeded to viciously beat the 84-year-old woman before Good Samaritans came to her aid," the sheriff's office said.

The suspect then assaulted one of the Good Samaritans and stole his F-350 pickup. Officers from the Lacey Police Department spotted the stolen truck traveling on Marvin Road and began chasing it. The pursuit lasted for 15 minutes throughout the county, including I-5 and the northeastern portion of the county, the sheriff's office said.

A sheriff's deputy performed a tactical vehicle intervention on the stolen truck, pushing it into a ditch at the intersection of 26th Avenue NE and Friendly Grove Road NE.

"The suspect then fled on foot and attempted to carjack another victim traveling on Friendly Grove Road. A Lacey police officer deployed a Taser and the suspect was taken into custody," the sheriff's office said.

The man is to be booked for multiple felony charges, including assault and robbery.

"The 84-year-old victim is in stable condition at St. Peters Hospital, but suffered numerous injuries to her entire body. She has injuries on her arms, hands, legs, face, neck, and head," the sheriff's office said.