Police: Chase starts over golf club theft

Burglary suspect surrenders after chase, say authorities

HOUSTON – A driver led police on a dangerous chase in north Houston on Thursday morning before giving himself up.

Bellaire police said the driver was wanted in connection with a burglary on Wednesday in which golf clubs were stolen from a garage.

An officer spotted the suspect on the Southwest Freeway near Newcastle shortly before 9 a.m. and tried to pull him over, but he refused to stop, investigators said.

Houston and Bellaire police began chasing the driver, and the pursuit moved onto the North Freeway, officials said.

The driver traveled at high speeds and narrowly avoided hitting several vehicles, officials said.

About 9:10 a.m., the driver pulled into a business near Mitchell Road, got out of the vehicle and laid down on the ground to surrender to police. His name has not been released.

Police said the man was suspected of burglarizing a home.

"There was a man in his home and he was in his living room and he had his garage door open," Bellaire Police Chief Byron Holloway said. "He notices what he thought to be some movement out in his garage so he went to check and he saw a suspect running out of the garage carrying some golf clubs and some other items.

The victim spoke with Local 2 on Thursday about the alleged theft.

"I saw him, both hands on the golf clubs, walking out," he said. "I went straight out the door. By the time I was out there, he was in the truck driving off... so I just looked at the license plate, wrote it down on my phone and honestly decided not to chase him, decided that was a bad idea."

Bellaire police said items taken in Wednesday's burglary were found in the suspect's vehicle.

"You don't ever think you're going to get your stuff back when stuff like that happens. You just hope to stop it from happening to anybody else...but I actually got a happy ending this time," the victim said.

Investigators said the suspect will likely face charges of burglary of a habitation and evading arrest.

Police said they are looking for an accomplice and are questioning other victims of similar crimes.

Less than a mile away from the theft, a woman on Anderson said she found a man lurking in her open garage. She said she followed him to get his license when he ran to a waiting car. She said the suspect threatened her.

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