Snow bank foils alleged vehicle thief’s escape plan

A snow bank stopped an alleged thief as he tried to escape with a stolen SUV.

David Gass, 48, reportedly tried to swipe a Chevrolet Tahoe from the West Coast Auto Dealers lot on North Ely Street in Kennewick, when he hit piled snow and the SUV became stuck, Kennewick police said.

The suspect fled the scene. When officers located him at a motel Sunday, he reportedly barricaded himself in a storage closet.

Gass surrendered eventually, police said.

He was booked in Benton County jail on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.

This story was originally published December 18, 2016 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Snow bank foils alleged vehicle thief’s escape plan."