A man faces several charges after he led Reno Police officers on a late-night pursuit after stealing a Good Samaritan's car.
Police say the incident started just after 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday when the suspect, Damien Silvanus was involved in a crash involving a U-Haul truck hitting a utility pole near Robb Dr. and Sapphire Ridge Way.
That's when they say the 39-year-old fled the area armed with machete and tried to steal another car.
Authorities say the first victim he approached ran into her home after refusing to give him her car, so Silvanus returned to the scene of the crash where a Good Samaritan stopped to help. They say Silvanus chased that person away and stole their car which was left idling.
Eventually, officers say they found Silvanus and the stolen car on the freeway, which then led to a pursuit around the west side of downtown with Silvanus allegedly driving the wrong way with officers parallel to him on the other side of the median.
They say they finally disabled the stolen car near 9th St. and N. Virginia Street when Silvanus ran into a local business and officers deployed a taser allowing them to take Silvanus into custody.
Silvanus is charged with the following:
* Armed Robbery with Elder Enhancement
* Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
* Felony Eluding
* Attempted Robbery
* Hit and Run
* Obstructing and Resisting
At this time, police say it's unclear what caused the crash and Silvanus to engage in the pursuit.
(Reno Police contributed to this report.)
