It all started around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, when frantic calls flooded 911 about a blue Kia Soul speeding recklessly through the Valley Forge Homes neighborhood, police said. Witnesses reported the car appeared wrecked, possibly from a previous crash.
Officers swarmed the area and soon spotted the damaged Kia on Kingwood Road near Musket. But when police tried to stop it, the driver hit the gas—barreling over a yard before finally coming to a stop in the 100 block of Forge Road.
Before the dust settled, three teens bailed from the car and ran.
Two female passengers, ages 17 and 13, didn’t get far—officers tackled them near the vehicle. The 16-year-old male driver, however, bolted.
A detective watching from the Bank of America at 625 West Dekalb Pike spotted the suspect hopping a fence and sprinting away. When the officer ordered him to stop, the teen refused, triggering a foot pursuit. Patrol officers soon joined in, chasing him down and arresting him in a backyard on the 500 block of Powderhorn Road.
Back at the scene, officers discovered the Kia’s steering column had been ripped apart and its ignition was broken—classic signs of a stolen vehicle. A quick check confirmed the car had been reported stolen out of Norristown earlier that day, police said.
The three teens were arrested and charged with Receiving Stolen Property, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Resisting Arrest, and other offenses. They were later released to their parents or guardians while awaiting Juvenile Court proceedings.
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