At this time, it’s not clear what led 19 year old James Pitts to steal a late model, white BMW from a rest area in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. It’s also unknown if the crime may have been motivated because the car in question was carrying a mother cat and her 7 young kittens, or if these innocent animals simply got caught up in these criminal antics.
It seems certain though that it will be tough for James Pitts to live down headlines like: Reckless Teen Steals BMW Full of Kittens, Leads Police on a 500 Mile Long Chase for quite some time. Following his arrest, Pitts was memorialized by the Hickman County Police, who shared a smiling picture of the young man.
After lifting the white BMW and driving at excessively high speeds, law enforcement began a pursuit of the vehicle which would not come to an end until four states and 500 miles later. The car chase began in Missouri, then traveled into Illinois, and Kentucky before coming to a dramatic conclusion in Tennessee. At the time of the car theft, Pitts was with another accomplice who police claim was dropped off some time during a high speed chase in either Missouri or Illinois.
Police say Pitts drove the stolen BMW at speeds in excess of 133 mph before crashing the vehicle in Clarksville, Tennessee after they deployed spike strips. Teenagers are not exactly known for being the most safe or courteous drivers and Pitts certainly has done little to change that.
Unwilling to give up easily, Pitts is said to have attempted to run into a forested area before police were able to apprehend him.
Fortunately No One was Injured
Fortunately, the mother cat and her 7 kittens were unharmed by Pitts’ ridiculous 500 mile joy ride. After being held at an animal shelter in Tennessee, they and presumably the car they had been stolen with were returned to their rightful owner.
Pitts is expected to face a litany of charges stemming from the incident, including but not limited to criminal impersonation and possession of drug paraphernalia. Already subject to some kind of supervised release due to previous criminal charges, it seems very likely he could face some very harsh penalties as a result of this bizarre and dangerous series of events.
Source: Metro