Man Steals Car With Baby Inside, Manhunt Ongoing In N.D.
REYNOLDS, N.D. (AP) — Law enforcement officials in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota are on the lookout for a man accused of shooting at a trooper, leading officers on a chase and stealing two cars, including one that had a baby inside.
A trooper tried to pull over a pickup truck with a loud exhaust on Interstate 29 at Grand Forks about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
The pickup driver fled southbound on I-29, reaching speeds of about 100 mph, according to the patrol. Law enforcement put down tire spikes and the driver stopped about 40 miles away near Hillsboro.
The suspect jumped out of the pickup and fired three shots at a trooper as he exited his squad, said patrol Lt. Troy Hischer.
"We're extremely fortunate that our trooper wasn't injured," Hischer said. The trooper did not return fire.
Two people, also in the pickup, were arrested and the shooting suspect fled. Methamphetamine was found in the truck, authorities said. It was not known who was driving.
Hischer said the suspect ran to a residential area just north of Hillsboro where he found an idling car outside a residence. A 1-year-old child was inside.
"The mother had started the car to warm it up, brought out the 1-year-old, then went back to retrieve an older child (from the residence)," Hischer said.
Law enforcement officers located the stolen vehicle about 20 miles away on County Road 81 near Reynolds. Once again, officers deployed road spikes, flattening the tires on the stolen vehicle about 11:30 p.m. The driver abandoned the car and fled on foot. Officers found the baby unharmed inside the vehicle, authorities said.
A helicopter and drone was used to search for the suspect in the perimeter area set up by officers, but he could not be found. Hischer said the man stole another vehicle in Reynolds sometime between 11:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. when it's owner woke up to find it missing. The GMC Sierra was later found abandoned in the parking lot of a Devils Lake Wal-Mart, but the suspect remained at large, the patrol said.
Law enforcement agencies in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota have been notified the suspect is on the run, Hischer said.
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