A man stopped by Kent Police for reportedly driving a stolen car, got out of the vehicle and ran away before officers caught him nearby.

The incident started at about 1:37 a.m. on Oct. 10 in the 1200 block of Central Avenue North when an officer in a patrol vehicle saw a Toyota Camry go past him without a rear license plate, according to the police report.

The officer followed the vehicle northbound on Central Avenue and pulled up behind it at the Comfort Inn parking lot, 22311 84th Ave. S. The driver jumped out of the car and began walking around. The officer asked the man to return to the car, but the man instead ran away.

A second officer pursued the man southbound on 83rd Avenue South. The man initially ignored commands to stop running. Even a truck driver going by yelled at the man to stop running.

Officers caught the man along Central Avenue near Highway 167. The man finally obeyed orders to get on the ground, but the man refused to put his hands out to his side. That caused an officer to draw his gun and again order the man to put his hands out. The man then put his hands out and another officer stepped in to handcuff him.

The man initially told police he had bought the car from an elderly woman but then admitted he had stolen the car from a East Hill home. Several bent keys, including one in the ignition, were found inside the car The car’s owner had reported the car stolen on Oct. 7 from his driveway.

Police arrested the man for investigation of theft of a motor vehicle, obstructing an officer, making a false statement and driving with a suspended license. The man’s record includes seven convictions for vehicle theft and vehicle prowling.

Woman dismantles bathroom

Officers arrested a woman for investigation of third-degree malicious mischief after she allegedly tore up a bathroom inside her mother’s home at about 5:07 a.m. on Oct. 10 in the 12000 block of Southeast 196th Street.

An officer noted the bathroom had drywall and insulation ripped out of the wall, a vanity and top of the toilet tank were missing and a sink had been thrown out of the window and into the yard, according to the police report.

Police recognized the woman from prior contacts at the home. She reportedly is a mental health patient who had a schizophrenic episode. The woman had been home alone. Her mother returned and discovered the damaged bathroom. The mother said the bathroom had been recently renovated. She estimated the damage at more than $500.

The woman admitted to tearing up the bathroom. She also talked nonsense to police about a logger who had killed her. Officers had to talk the woman out of another bathroom when they first arrived at the home.

Woman escapes work release

Police cited a woman for third-degree escape after she allegedly walked away from a city of Kent jail work release program at about 1 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the Kent Senior Center, 600 E. Smith St.

The woman had been in the jail, 1230 Central Ave. S., since Sept. 27 on a 60-day sentence for fourth-degree assault, according to the police report. She moved to work release on Oct. 3 and had a projected release date of Oct. 24.

A work release site supervisor saw the woman walk away from work at the Senior Center and reported the escape.

Man steals electronics

Officers cited a man for third-degree theft after he reportedly took several small household electronic items from the Fred Meyer store, 10201 SE 240th St.

Store security watched the man removed security tags on the items and place them in his backpack, according to the police report. The man then walked out of the store without paying for the items.

The man told police he planned to sell the items through the website OfferUP so he could make money for food and gas. The items he took from the store were valued at $326.