Kent Police arrested a man for investigation of reckless driving after reportedly catching him illegally street racing where at least 100 cars were gathered.

An officer on patrol in the 19600 block of West Valley Highway, aka 68th Avenue South, saw four racing-style cars westbound on 196th at about 1:05 a.m. July 23 headed toward an area known for illegal street racing, according to the police report.

The officer started to follow the cars, which turned north on 62nd Avenue South. The officer noted as he made the turn he saw at least 100 cars lining both sides of the street. The four cars he followed sped away as did many of the other vehicles along the street when drivers spotted the marked police SUV.

But two other cars were headed right at the officer racing southbound. Both drivers went around the police SUV. The officer followed a Jeep and pulled the driver over a short distance away.

The driver told police it was his first race of the night. He said he just got in line to race with a bunch of other cars and his turn had just come up.

Police cited a passenger in the car for unlawful race attendance.

Man strikes driver with tire iron

Officers arrested a man for investigation of assault after he allegedly hit a man with a tire iron at about 8:53 a.m. July 21 in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store, 1481 W. Meeker St.

A man told police had was backing out of the parking lot in his van when another man came up to the open driver’s side window and hit him with a tire iron, according to the police report.

The man suffered a deep gash on his head. Paramedics transported him to a local hospital. He told police he did not know the man who hit him.

Officers located the man with a tire iron walking near the store. An officer recognized the man from previous incidents in Kent when he threw rocks at vehicles and pedestrians.

Store video surveillance showed the van backing out of the lot and a man coming over to it with a tire iron.

Man caught without helmet

Police arrested a man on a warrant out of Auburn after an officer spotted him riding without a bicycle helmet at 9:03 p.m. July 21 in the 15200 block of Southeast Kent-Kangley Road.

The officer stopped the man and told him he was in violation of city code for riding a bicycle without a helmet, according to the police report. The man became very upset. The officer told him to sit on the ground. The man started to sit but then fled on foot.

The officer chased him on foot. The man ran onto Kent-Kangley Road, where several vehicles honked at him as he ran in front of them. A K-9 unit helped find the man at a nearby apartment complex.

The man had a warrant out of Auburn for failure to appear in court on a DUI charge. The man told police he was sorry he had run. He said he didn’t want to go back to jail. The man also admitted he had started to use meth again.

Husband punches wife during dispute

Officers arrested a man for investigation of fourth-degree assault after he reportedly punched his wife during a dispute at about 2:25 a.m. July 22 at a home in the 24600 block of 45th Place South.

The wife had a bruised eye. She told officers her husband had been having an affair for the last three years and she was tired of it. They argued and she told him to leave the house, according to the police report. The husband then started to punch her in the face.

The husband told police his wife was intoxicated and that she slapped and punched him. Police noted the man had no signs of injury and the wife did not seem to be intoxicated. When officers asked the husband about his wife’s bruised eye, he responded she must have hit herself.

Man steals windows from store

Police arrested a man for investigation of third-degree theft after he reportedly tried to steal two windows at about 4:27 p.m. July 21 from Home Depot, 26120 104th Ave. SE.

Store security watched the man place four windows on a cart, according to the police report. He then took two windows to the returns counter and got cash back with a receipt he had. The man used the cash to buy the other two windows.

The man had numerous Home Depot receipts in his possession. Store employees knew the man from previous fraud cases when he used receipts to return products he takes off the shelf.

Store employees asked police to ban the man from all Home Depot stores for one year.