A man driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen tried to elude Baltimore police Monday afternoon on West North Avenue and crashed into three parked cars, causing all four vehicles to burst into flames and melting the siding of several townhouses, according to city police.
The suspect ran from the burning cars and boarded a Maryland Transit Administration bus, where officers arrested him. Police said charges are pending against the man.
In the wild escape attempt, authorities said the driver of the sport utility vehicle, which had been reported stolen in Washington, collided with a car, causing minor damage and injuries, and ran over mailboxes before hitting the parked vehicles and catching fire.
Baltimore police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that officers, who were in an unmarked cruiser, did not chase the stolen car but were three to four blocks behind at all times. "They simply caught up to the vehicle by following the path of destruction," the spokesman said.
Police said members of the Regional Auto Theft Task Force spotted the stolen SUV about 3 p.m. on West North Avenue. Task force officers have unmarked utility vehicles that are equipped with flashing lights but no sirens.
Guglielmi said the officers flipped on the emergency lights to get the driver to pull over. He said the driver slowed as if he was going to stop and then sped off. The spokesman said the officers, not using their emergency lights, followed behind at a safe distance.
The stolen SUV sped west on North Avenue and collided with a car at Hilton Parkway. The SUV then continued through the intersection and turned up a grassy alley into a small townhouse development, where Guglielmi said it ran over at least one mailbox and hit the parked cars, "causing them to burst into flames."
The three parked cars and the stolen SUV were heavily damaged. Guglielmi said the stolen vehicle was burned so badly that he could not determine the model. He said it appeared to be a Chevy. The heat from the flaming cars charred and melted the vinyl siding on several townhouses.
peter.hermann@baltsun.com