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Boise police arrested Matthew C. Humphreys and charged him with felony grand theft late Thursday night thanks to the help of alert witnesses who saw him run away from a stolen car earlier in the day, police officials said Friday morning.
Police had been looking for the driver of a stolen car since about 5:30 p.m. Thursday who was last seen running from the car he parked by a canal near the Orchard Street and Franklin Road neighborhood on the Boise Bench.
A Boise police officer spotted a white Pontiac Firebird — which had been reported stolen earlier that morning from outside a home in the 1300 block of North Hartman Street as the owner let it warm up — in the Orchard/Franklin neighborhood. That officer did not begin a vehicle pursuit because of the high amount of traffic in the area, officials said.
Police say the driver noticed police and took off at a high rate of speed, eventually abandoning the Firebird by a canal off Albion Street and running away.
Witnesses who saw the man running away from the car were able to give police important information that led to officers identifying Humphreys as a suspect, officials said.
Humphreys, 23, was eventually arrested a home in the 100 block of W. 37th Street in Garden City around 11 p.m. Thursday.
Humphreys is scheduled to make his initial court appearance later Friday.
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