Snoqualmie police officers arrested a would-be car thief Thursday, April 6, after a brief confrontation and an hour-long chase through Snoqualmie neighborhoods that ended with a plunge in the river for the suspect.

The suspect, a Monroe man, had attempted to steal an unlocked truck parked in the Sno Falls Credit Union parking lot on Meadowbrook Way SE, according to the police report The driver of the truck had left the vehicle unlocked, with the keys in the ignition. When she saw the man get into her truck and back it out of the parking stall, she ran to her truck and pulled him out. He did not fight the woman and asked that she not call the police. He then fled on foot.

Snoqualmie Police were called and pursued the man through downtown Snoqualmie neighborhoods. King County Deputies assisted Snoqualmie police officers at times, chasing the suspect through backyards and streets.

Police requested assistance from King County’s Guardian One helicopter to locate the suspect. The man’s location was passed on to the officers on the ground, and a Snoqualmie officer then located the suspect near Riverview Park. The suspect jumped into the nearby Snoqualmie River, and swam across. Officers were waiting on the other side to arrest him.

The Snoqualmie Fire Department assessed the man for injuries and exposure to cold water. Police then booked him into the King County jail on attempted auto theft charges.