A 43-year-old Oakville man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly trying to drive his motor home through a barrier in an Elma neighborhood, then fleeing the scene, stripping off his clothes and claiming his motor home had been stolen, the Elma Police Department said. Neighbors were able to identify the man as the driver.
Elma officers responded to a report of reckless driving at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday on South 12th Street, where the driver of a motor home reportedly tried to accelerate through a barrier at the dead end onto Highway 12. The motor home got stuck in the attempt.
A Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office deputy happened by on Highway 12 just as the call was dispatched and saw a man wearing a baseball cap, a dark sweatshirt and shorts running from the scene across the highway, toward the Elma ponds, according to a release from the Elma Police.
Several officers and deputies responded.
“Moments later, officers were advised the owner of the motor home had just called 911 from the ponds and was reporting his motor home stolen and claimed to be chasing the person who stole it,” the release stated.
“A short time later, officers were notified a witness had called 911 and reported a male subject walking around in his underwear and socks,” the release continued. “The witness reported the male came out of the bushes in the area of the Vance Creek Park and advised the subject was yelling and screaming.”
Police Chief Jeff Troumbley said the man was apparently under the influence of some sort of substance.
“He was acting bizarrely,” Troumbley said.
Officers found the man, who turned out to be the registered owner of the motor home.
He was arrested for “obstructing a public servant and false reporting after officers gathered evidence that there was never a second subject who had stolen the motor home and ran from the scene. This would have been a difficult case to prove if witnesses in the area were not able to provide us with crucial information,” the release concluded.
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