The Harris County Sheriff's Office said deputies tried to stop the stolen vehicle near Barker Cypress and US 290 before a 10-to-12-mile pursuit followed into Waller County around 3:30 or 4:30 a.m.
That's when deputies said spikes were deployed by the Waller County Sheriff's Office, and the vehicle went off the mainlanes and into the lake north of the highway, west of James Muse Parkway.
"It appears the vehicle sunk into the body of water and the occupant(s) of the vehicle do not appear to have made it out of the vehicle," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a social media post.
In an update, however, HCSO Asst. Chief John Nanny said the driver was able to get out of the car and take off.
"At this point, we believe the driver was able to exit the vehicle and flee, but we are not sure whether there were any other occupants, which is why we have our divers out there to confirm that," he said. "But we do have a suspect on the loose who is wanted for auto theft and evading."
Gonzalez said the James Muse exit is currently closed as dive team members conduct the search and recover the vehicle.
Nanny added that area schools, including PVAMU, were notified, and that extra officers are patrolling the area. He said they don't have additional information about the suspect or where the vehicle was taken from.