Man steals vehicle, jumps into Grapevine Lake to evade arrest, police say
Grapevine police have arrested a man they say stole a vehicle and then jumped into Grapevine Lake to evade arrest, according to a statement Friday.
A woman initially reported to police around 9:30 a.m. Friday that her black Ford Ranger had been stolen, according to the statement. A Grapevine police officer saw the vehicle traveling westbound on Dove Road and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver refused to pull over and accelerated toward the lake, police said.
The driver crashed near Trawick Pavilion, exited the vehicle, jumped a fence and entered the water, according to the statement. Officers attempted to reach him by boat and jet ski, but were limited by shallow water, police said. A police drone was launched and the suspect was located hiding behind brush.
Shortly afterward, officers were alerted to a suspicious man near a softball complex in the area. He was later identified as the suspect and arrested without further incident, police said.
The man has been charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest, and investigators believe he may be connected to a string of overnight burglaries in Grapevine, police said.
He will be identified once he is arraigned.
