Montgomery County deputies rescue theft suspect from burning vehicle after car chase
Montgomery County deputies rescue theft suspect from burning vehicle after car chase
Montgomery County deputies rescued a theft suspect from a burning vehicle after a car chase that began at a Walmart in Porter, according to the sheriff's office.
PORTER, Texas - Montgomery County deputies rescued a theft suspect from a burning vehicle after a car chase that began at a Walmart in Porter, according to the sheriff's office. Body camera footage shows the incident happened on Sunday.
The backstory:
Patrol deputies responded to a reported theft at a Walmart in Porter. When they arrived, they saw a man running from the store with loss-prevention personnel following him.
The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Michael BeBawi, got into a vehicle and continued to avoid deputies. Officials said he failed to stop for a patrol vehicle before driving away recklessly from the parking lot.
The sheriff’s office said he sped north on U.S. 69 before exiting on FM 1485. As he approached an intersection, the car crossed the curb of a median, hit two signs, crashed into another vehicle, then hit a Chase Bank sign, and caught fire.
Deputies immediately tried to pull BeBawi from the burning vehicle but were unable to open the driver-side door because of crash damage. One of the deputies entered through the passenger side and unlocked the driver-side door, allowing other deputies to pull BeBawi from the burning car.
As the fire intensified and the car began to explode, authorities pulled BeBawi away from the car. Firefighters and EMS responded to the scene.
What's next:
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, BeBawi has previous arrests involving theft-related offenses and resisting arrests.
BeBawi remains in the Montgomery County Jail and is charged with evading in a vehicle and theft.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.