A man suspected of siphoning gas from a vehicle in Richland early Monday managed to avoid arrest -- at least for now -- by rowing down the river.

"This is the first time I've heard of anyone fleeing in a rowboat," said Richland police Capt. Mike Cobb.

Officers were called at 3:20 a.m. about a suspect siphoning gas in the 2400 block of Robertson Road, Cobb said.

The witness got a license plate for the suspect's vehicle and a couple of minutes later, a patrol supervisor spotted the car in the area.

The driver sped away, but after a short chase, the officer stopped pursuing him for safety reasons, Cobb said.

Officers were able to get a possible ID on the suspect from the license plate and went to the 55-year-old West Richland man's home on North Yakima River Drive.

When they got there, they heard some noises by the river and saw a man matching the suspect's description in a rowboat on the river.

The man, who has not been arrested, is wanted on a misdemeanor theft charge, Cobb said.