An off-duty Charleston police officer arrested a suspected car thief Thursday afternoon in an impromptu stop.
At about 1:15 p.m., Charleston Sgt. Anthony Colagrasso witnessed a man jump into a Jeep Grand Cherokee that had been left unlocked with the engine running as the owner went inside the Go-Mart on 3rd Street in St. Albans.
According to a press release from St. Albans police, Colagrasso then followed the suspected car thief and saw the driver of the Jeep crash once and flee the scene of the crash in the Jeep.
When Colagrasso finally pulled the Jeep over near the West Virginia State University campus in Institute, the officer identified the suspect as Christopher Rader, 31, of Dunbar. Rader was then arrested on multiple charges, including grand larceny, violating he parole, driving with a suspended license, driving under the influence and failing to register as a sex offender.
According to the press release, Rader was later identified as the suspect in a separate incident in which he allegedly assaulted a KRT bus driver, who kicked Rader off a bus after he urinated while on board.
According to police, Rader has yet to be charged for that incident.