A man from Graham has been arrested after he led sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase in a car that he allegedly stole from an elderly woman in Davidson County.
Walter Ray Sykes was ultimately taken into custody along I-85/40 in Burlington – several hours after he reportedly stole the vehicle at 9:47 a.m. on Sunday.
According to the office of Alamance County’s sheriff, the 36-year-old white suspect, who hails from 1759 Crawford Road, Lot C, in Graham, had sped off in the stolen car after he knocked over its 81-year-old owner at a gas station in Davidson County.
Nearly three hours later, the same vehicle reportedly turned up again along South Main Street in Graham. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies initially tried to pull the vehicle over near the intersection of South Main Street and Swepsonville Road – only to have the driver gun the accelerator and flee.
The pursuit resumed along the interstate, where deputies finally caught up with Sykes near the interchange for Huffman Mill Road.
According to the sheriff’s office, Sykes was subsequently charged with felonies for the possession of a stolen vehicle and fleeing to elude arrest. He also faces charges in Davidson County for felony common law robbery and misdemeanor assault on a female.
Sykes was initially taken to Alamance County’s jail where he was placed under a $20,000 bond. An additional $100,000 has since been tacked on to his bond for the charges he faces in Davidson County.
