A Rhode Island man was arrested early Wednesday morning after he and two other suspects stole a Kingston woman’s jet ski from her backyard, then led police on a nearly 50-mile car chase across Southeastern Massachusetts, according to police.
Providence resident Livan Sarit, 21, was the only one of the three suspects to be captured after the police pursuit, Kingston police said in a press release. But, as investigators have extensive video evidence of the theft and car chase, they are confident that the other two suspects will be identified, charged and arrested soon.
“Sleep well tonight gentlemen, we’ll see you soon – and don’t worry, we extradite from Rhode Island,” the police department wrote.
On July 30, a Kingston woman called 911 around 3:15 a.m. to report that a group of thieves was in the process of stealing her jet ski and trailer from her backyard, police said. She later gave police security video of the theft.
Officers responded to the home and found the suspect vehicle — a dark-colored pickup truck — fleeing the area with the jet ski trailer attached to it, police said. It was later discovered that the truck had fake license plates and had been reported stolen out of Rhode Island.
Officers tried to pull the truck over, but it drove away, police said. This sparked a lengthy car chase across southeastern Massachusetts during which Kingston and State Police pursued the truck down Route 3 south, onto Route 6 west and then on Route 25 west.
“Due to the brazen nature of the crime and the limited vehicular traffic in the middle of the night, the pursuit continued for approximately 47 miles,” the police department wrote.
At one point in the chase while passing through Bourne, the stolen jet ski and trailer detached from the truck, police said. State troopers eventually deployed “stop sticks” to deflate the truck’s tires, but the driver continued traveling at over 90 mph.
The truck’s deflated tires caused debris to fly up behind it and smash into the windshield of a pursuing Kingston police cruiser, police said. The officer was sprayed with shattered glass, but continued “his relentless pursuit of the felons.”
The truck eventually led police west on I-195 into downtown New Bedford, police said. The chase ended when the truck crashed on the highway and caught fire.
Three suspects ran from the truck after it crashed, police said. Sarit jumped over a guardrail on I-195 into the opposing lane of traffic, but was chased down and arrested by police. The other two suspects jumped off an overpass on the highway and fled into the city.
Sarit and the other two suspects may have been involved in other similar larcenies that are under investigation in the Kingston area, police said. No one was hurt during the incident, and the property of two different victims was recovered.
“Let this serve as notice to anyone who considers committing crimes like these in our town. Don’t risk it. Not in Kingston. We’ll chase you until your wheels fall off – literally,” the police department wrote.
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