Suspected car thief chased through Marin

Authorities pursued a suspected car thief through three Bay Area counties, including Marin. The suspect remains at large.

Around 7:15 p.m. Saturday, a CHP officer in Santa Rosa saw the suspect drive a Hyundai that was reported stolen, CHP officer David Derutte said. Following an attempted traffic stop, the suspect led a pursuit on southbound Highway 101. He later crashed into a car and injured two people in Cotati, the CHP reported. Derutte said the suspect then stole a white Honda Accord at a nearby gas station and returned to the highway. The Honda owner’s Pomeranian dog was also with him, Derrutte said.

A CHP helicopter later lost sight of the suspect when he drove into a wooded area near Highway 13 in Alameda County, Derrutte said. Officers detained the suspect’s female passenger at the Cotati gas station. Savanna Vethschwab, 25, of Oakland was arrested on suspicion of theft and drug charges, and booked into the Sonoma County jail.