A 34-year-old man was arrested Monday afternoon after attempting to steal a van from a Concord car dealership during a test drive and sparking a police chase ending with a crash in Antioch, police said. Wesley Dewitt Grayson, of Antioch, was charged with auto theft, possession of stolen property, and hit-and-run, according to police.
Grayson was apprehended after crashing the van into sound wall on Muirwood Drive and Lone Tree Way in Antioch and then fleeing the scene on foot. He was located and taken into custody on Mahua Way and Eucalyptus Way shortly afterward, police said.
The bizarre incident began shortly before 3 p.m. at Lehmer’s Concord Buick GMC dealership after the suspect returned from test driving a Cadillac CRX, police said. Grayson then asked to test drive a $70,000 2015 conversion van. During the second test drive, Grayson abruptly told the salesman he was stealing the van and threatened to kill him if he told anybody, according to police. The suspect then began driving erratically, but the salesman was able to jump out of the van and call police when the suspect slowed for traffic in Pittsburg.
As officers chased the van, the suspect got on Highway 4 and hit another vehicle shortly before crashing into a sound wall at 3:42 p.m.
