West University Place police chase leads to 3 yards torn up and a suspect trapped in wreckage

WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, Texas (KTRK) -- Several West University Place residents were left with thousands of dollars in damages after a high-speed chase with a car theft suspect ended in their backyards.

According to West U police, officers were alerted to a stolen pickup truck in the 2600 block of Rice Boulevard at 1:18 p.m. Monday thanks to their Virtual Gate license plate-reading cameras.

Back in 2020, the city committed to pay $4.5 million for cameras that cover all lanes of traffic and alert police of any vehicles that are stolen, associated with Amber or Silver alerts, or are registered to individuals with a record of violent crimes.

It was those very cameras that caught the stolen truck, WUPD said.

READ MORE: With trial run a success, West University moves ahead to install 'Virtual Gate' surveillance cameras

Press play to learn what police hope the surveillance cameras will help them track.

When officers caught up with the driver, they were able to pull him over.

However, the suspect, identified as Kurtus Sliger, accelerated at a high rate of speed when he saw the officers exit their vehicles, police said.

That's when the chase began.

Police said the chase lasted about five minutes and ended when Sliger lost control of the stolen truck in a dead-end back alley.

He crashed through three separate yards of homes located in the 3100 block of Bissonnet near Buffalo Speedway, police said.

Photos from WUPD show the destruction left behind, including smashed fences and a crashed white pick-up truck.

ABC13 spoke to one of the West U residents left with a destroyed yard after the crash. Roger Chism said he was in his upstairs office when he saw the collision.

"I was on my phone at my office upstairs, talking with my wife. I said, 'You're not going to believe it. Our backyard just exploded,''' Chism said. "He went through so fast, this guy in the truck, I didn't even see the truck. I just saw debris, chairs, everything coming down the aisle."

Chism said it's a miracle that no one was hurt because kids usually ride bikes in the alley.

He estimates it will cost him around $10,000 to repair his fence and yard.

Police said Sliger was trapped in the truck and had to be rescued by officers. He's charged with evading and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

WUPD said he has a previous criminal history out of state that includes one misdemeanor and two felony arrests.

SEE ALSO: West University Place rolls out virtual gate camera system

Cameras were installed to monitor entrances into the city to alert police of cars registered to those with criminal records.

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