NORMAN, Okla. – Norman police are on the lookout for a suspect who allegedly stole a truck Tuesday morning and ran from officers after a police chase ended on a dead-end street.
Not only did the at-large suspect get away with Eddie Moore’s truck, but he was also in possession of Moore’s loaded gun, which was sitting inside the truck’s console.
Around 4:30 a.m., Eddie Moore stopped at the 7-Eleven, near S.W. 19th St. and Santa Fe, in Moore.
Moore said he pulled over to get a drink but left the truck unlocked.
He has a concealed carry license but did not take his 9mm Smith and Wesson inside because 7-Eleven prohibits guns.
After only a couple of minutes inside the store, Moore noticed a man driving away in his Chevy Silverado.
“I was angry, especially at myself for allowing that to happen,” Moore said. “Not securing my vehicle.”
Police say the truck was followed by a dark-colored SUV, which was driven by a second suspect.
About 15 minutes after the truck was stolen, officers in Norman spotted the vehicles and attempted to pull them over.
The stolen pickup headed into a neighborhood while the SUV headed toward I-35.
The driver of the pickup ditched the car and fled the scene on foot.
Capt. Tom Easley, with the Norman Police Department, said the male suspect jumped out of Moore’s truck on Pinon Ct. in Norman, which is a dead-end street.
The man then jumped over fences to escape into the surrounding neighborhood.
That suspect did not take the gun, but did take 16 bullets, according to Moore.
He said the gun was found jammed, indicating the suspect may have tried to load it during the chase.
Moore said, “Knowing it was a loaded pistol, which scared me, because I knew he was a thief and he probably wouldn’t hesitate to use the gun if the police got behind him.”
However, the SUV continued to head to I-35 and Hwy 9.
The SUV collided with another car but continued to head south.
Authorities said the chase finally came to an end near Riverwind Casino on I-35 and Hwy 9.
The female driver, 23-year-old Anna Olander, was taken into custody after driving into a muddy field near the casino.
Officials learned the SUV was also stolen.
Officers say she will face charges of attempting to elude an officer, knowingly concealing stolen property and leaving the scene of an accident.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured during the chase.
The man who was driving the stolen pickup truck is still on the loose.
He’s described as a white male in his late 30’s or early 40’s, standing 6’0″ tall with shoulder length hair and wearing a baseball cap. He left a camouflage green jacket in the vehicle.
Anyone with information on the suspect at large should call Norman police immediately.