A dramatic incident unfolded when a man boldly stole a delivery truck in Oregon, leaving a female employee inside the cargo area.
Shortly before 4:30 a.m. on November 15, officers from Milwaukie Police received a call about a cargo truck that had just been pilfered from a warehouse parking lot.
The establishment involved, Elephants Delicatessen, reported that while employees were loading the delivery truck for the day’s work, a man made a sudden move, jumping into the driver’s seat.
Captured on security footage, the suspect was seen commandeering the truck while an employee was still trapped inside the back, forced to leap from the vehicle as it took off at alarming speed.
“As the truck picked up speed, I held on to anything I could grab,” recounted Esmeralda, the employee caught in the harrowing situation, during her interview with KGW8. “He slowed briefly before hitting the railroad tracks. That’s when I jumped off.”
Fortunately, she emerged with only minor injuries, a small relief amidst the chaos.
Witnesses informed the officers that the stolen vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracking device. Despite this, an initial search failed to locate the truck.
As the sun rose, deli workers alerted police that the truck had been detected around Portland, according to data from the tracking system.
With support from the Beaverton Police Department, the truck was finally located with the suspect, 29-year-old Forrest Lee Guayante from Aberdeen, Washington, still at the wheel.
When officers attempted to end the pursuit, Guayante allegedly rammed the police vehicle, evoking a sense of disbelief. In a sudden shift, he fled on foot, dodging through business lots and residential yards.
Thanks to a police K-9, officers quickly followed the trail of the fleeing man, managing to apprehend him shortly thereafter.
Guayante was taken into custody at the Washington County Jail, facing an array of charges: unauthorized vehicle use, reckless endangerment, attempted evasion, hit-and-run incidents, and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. The Milwaukie Police Department stated he also faces additional charges, including kidnapping, criminal mischief, theft, and fraudulent credit card use.
In a world where moments of panic can arise in the blink of an eye, this startling event serves as a reminder of how swiftly things can spiral. Many passing moments tend to fade, while others, underpinned by adrenaline, become etched vividly in memory. Security measures like GPS tracking on vehicles prove vital, but sometimes the innate human ability to react under pressure shines even brighter. Coincidentally, elephants, known for their strong memory, symbolize the power of recalling significant events, one that finds a curious connection in this peculiar narrative.
