Police in Virginia are searching for a suspect who evaded capture by hiding in a storm drain after a vehicle pursuit ended in an on-foot chase.
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According to Fox 5 News, Virginia State Police are searching for a suspect who fled multiple crashes on Interstate 495 on Monday. Authorities have named the man as Victor A. Caneza, 38. Authorities say police told him to wait in his car, but he sped off. During the pursuit, Caneza lost control of his vehicle, landing it in a ditch.
The chase continued on foot, where Caneza led officers into a "wooded area." He entered a storm drain, which took him underground beneath the highway. The report explains that Caneza left the drainage system in a nearby neighborhood but managed to give authorities the slip when he entered another drain.
Emergency services continued their search while patrolling every nearby drain entrance. Police say they used a drone in an attempt to track down the suspect but had no success due to "interference."
Police Are Still Searching For The Man Who Hid In The Storm Drains
According to the Fox 5 report, the search effort lasted around three hours in the snowy weather. Police were reportedly opening drain covers as far as a quarter of a mile away from the neighborhood. The search was eventually called off when an eyewitness told authorities they had seen a man exit the drainage system a while ago.
Another eyewitness, Jason Rice, who was enjoying sledding at the time, described the unusual events. "The next thing you know, people are just swarming down the hill with ambulances and fire engines."
Using pipes to escape sounds like something reserved for Super Mario games, but it seems they may have worked for now. Virginia State Police are still searching for Victor Caneza and have pleaded for anyone who knows him to get in touch. A warrant has been issued against Caneza for a felony hit and run and a felony eluding. Authorities have also explained that Caneza did not have a valid driver's license, although he did have a Construction ID.
