He stole a vehicle with two people inside. Now Visalia police are looking for him

Visalia police say two men were briefly kidnapped Saturday when an unidentified male stole their vehicle while they were inside.

At 1:51 p.m., officers went to the 8900 block of West Goshen Avenue, where the suspect had stolen the vehicle, according to a police news release. Officers soon spotted the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but driver failed to yield and a high-speed pursuit started.

During the pursuit, police said officers discovered the driver had released the two adults shortly after he’d taken the vehicle and before being spotted.

After learning two men were no longer in the car, the pursuit was canceled by police for the public’s safety, said Lt. James Andrews.

About 5:50 p.m., officers were notified that the vehicle was located by the California Highway Patrol near Avenue 400 and Road 24 in Kingsburg. No one was inside the vehicle and police are still searching for the suspect.

No one was injured, police said.

This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 7:29 PM with the headline "He stole a vehicle with two people inside. Now Visalia police are looking for him."