Hermiston police arrested a man after a crash for fleeing and trying to steal a car with a child in the backseat.
Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston credited neighbors for stopping Anthony Thomas Toombs, 36, of Hermiston, from getting away before officers arrived.
According to Edmiston, Toombs was driving his 2004 Toyota Scion XB on Dec. 5, when he crashed at approximately 5:15 p.m. into a gray 2015 Toyota Sienna van at the intersection of Southwest 11th Street and West Highland Avenue, Hermiston.
The driver of the van, a 29-year-old Hermiston man, and his 25-year-old wife, suffered minor injuries.
Toombs exited his vehicle through the passenger side and fled the crash on foot, leaving his vehicle in the middle of the intersection.
Edmiston reported Toombs ran toward the Viewcrest Apartments parking lot at 525 SW 13th Place, where he “intercepted” a 24-year-old Hermiston woman and her 2-year-old child as they were arriving at home in their 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. Toombs pushed the woman to steal her vehicle with her child still secured in her car seat in the back seat.
But Toombs only made it a short distance, according to Edmiston, before neighbors stopped him and police took him into custody.
Edmiston also reported Toombs had a detour before heading to jail. En route to the police station, Toombs started to spit foam from his mouth and was verbally unresponsive. While waiting for medics to arrive, the officer parked on the side of the street and gave Toombs a treatment of Narcan. Toombs was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston.
After medical staff cleared Toombs, police booked him into the Umatilla County Jail.
Pendleton, where he remains in custody on numerous counts, including felony hit-and-run, second-degree kidnapping, third-degree robbery, vehicle theft and driving under the influence of intoxicants (alcohol).
