Man in custody after pursuit in Vancouver Heights

A man was arrested Thursday after he allegedly stole a vehicle, eluded police for at least three miles and crashed into another vehicle before police blocked him into a parking lot.

An apartment manager at Springbrook Village Apartments, 11328 N.E. 51st Circle, called 911 at 8:22 a.m. to report seeing a person steal a maroon 2003 Hyundai Elantra, said Vancouver Police spokeswoman Kim Kapp.

About 15 minutes later, drivers on state Highway 500 called 911 to report that a vehicle was being driven erratically, including stopping in the middle of the highway and nearly causing a crash, Kapp said.

Officers spotted the vehicle in the area of Northeast Andresen Road and East Mill Plain Boulevard and followed it through the Vancouver Heights neighborhood. The vehicle was then involved in a crash on Andresen Road and Missouri Drive with a white van occupied by two people. No one was injured.

Police and Clark County sheriff’s deputies responded and eventually blocked the vehicle in a McDonald’s parking lot, 2814 N.E. Andresen Rd., where the Elantra crashed into a wall of the building and overheated, Kapp said.

Police identified the man behind the wheel as Kim K. Karuo, 22. His city of residence was not known.

He was arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempting to elude, two counts of hit-and-run, possession of stolen property, reckless driving, resisting officers, obstructing a law enforcement officer and having no valid driver’s license.