Fresno Boy inside Stolen Car during High Speed Chase | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Fresno, CA Police said the thief led officers on a chase that ended at the D.M.V. parking lot at Olive and Delno.

The thief led officers on a chase at speeds as fast as 100-miles-per-house, crashed into two other cars and then hit a tree; all with an 8-year-old inside.

Amazingly, the 8-year-old walked away from the ordeal with just a bruise.

The boy's grandparents paced the sidewalk waiting for word on their grandson's condition. They told Action News they stopped at a mini-mart off Marks and Olive to get their grandson an ice cream, leaving their keys inside, along with their grandson.

"It happened within a minute, a minute and a half, not even, not even that, it was like, bam, gone, that quick," said the Grandfather.

Police said that's when 30-year-old parolee Miguel Galarza stole the truck, driving as fast as 100 miles an hour.

"My nephew was right there, and I was scared that we almost got hit. If we would've come out the store five minutes before anything happened, we would've got hit," said eyewitness Jancy Perez.

Police said Galarza hit several cars during the chase along Olive, including a Toyota carrying a family with a 7-month-old baby. Rescue crews had to pull them out using the Jaws of Life. They were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The stolen truck finally spun out and hit the gate and a tree in the D.M.V. parking lot. Officers then deployed a K-9. The K-9 officer got a bite on the suspect and then other officers ran and got the boy out of the car.

The 8 year old taken for a scary ride escaped with only a small scrape and bruise.

Galarza faces charges of kidnapping, reckless driving and stealing a car.