By Jasen Lee
Deseret Morning News
CLEARFIELD, Utah — He stole what?
A 38-year old man from Providence is under arrest after allegedly leading authorities on a low-speed chase Monday through Davis County in a stolen front-end loader.
Clearfield Police responded to a report of a stolen front-end loader from a road construction site at 500 West and 200 South. The operator told police that he had gotten out of the vehicle to remove some debris from the roadway. As he did, the suspect entered the vehicle and drove away.
The suspect drove into the Freeport Center industrial park knocking down security fences and gates along the way. Officers quickly located the vehicle, but attempts to stop the suspect were unsuccessful.
The suspect evaded officers by driving through wooded fields and along a walking trail between 200 South and 700 South, all the while, driving through and over fences and closed gates at speeds of about 10 mile per hour to 15 miles per hour.
The pursuit lasted about 15 minutes before the vehicle drove off a 6-foot embankment and became lodged on a fence. The suspect fled on foot, but was quickly apprehended without incident.
Officers identified the suspect as Caseton Burruss. A motive for the crime is still unclear. The case is still under investigation.
In addition to the theft of the front-end loader, investigators discovered that Burruss had stolen a car from a Layton car dealership earlier in the day. When the car ran out of gas, he stole another car from a Clearfield residence.
He reportedly crashed the second car into a dirt embankment before stealing the front-end loader.
Burruss was charged with three counts of felony auto theft, felony evading, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, three counts of criminal mischief and trespassing.
He was booked into the Davis County Jail.
Copyright 2011 The Deseret News Publishing Co.