A Houston police chase ended as a Mini Cooper with a toddler inside plunged into a 15-feet deep bayou, KTRK reports.
The chase initially occurred as police attempted to stop the vehicle within the vicinity of the 10400 block along Randolph Street late Sunday evening, KTRK reported.
The driver of the Mini Cooper led police on a 10-minute chase after allegedly failing to follow directions from the officers.
The driver then decided to exit the road into a field, KTRK reported, citing the Houston Police Department (HPD). Allegedly attempting to evade officers, he soon found his getaway vehicle plunging into the Sims Bayou, according to the outlet.
Four HPD officers jumped into the water when the Mini Cooper went in, and that’s when they saw the driver removing a toddler from the backseat. https://t.co/US5RgOhSuD
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) June 5, 2023
HPD officers then jumped into the bayou, where they witnessed the suspect attempting to extricate a child from the backseat of the Mini Cooper, according to KTRK.
Police took the child, who was found to be in good condition following the plunge, but the suspect continued to evade law enforcement, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Woman Allegedly Steals Police SUV After Crash, Leads Deputies On 100 MPH Orange County Chase)
“The suspect took off and tried to go in the opposite direction” before “other officers basically swam out to the suspect and apprehended him almost to the other end of the bayou,” Lt. Pham told KTRK.
The suspect is looking at potential charges to include felony evading and child endangerment. One officer suffered a sprained ankle amid the response, the outlet reported.