Harris County chase ends in crash, child found unsecured in stolen car

A stolen vehicle, a high-speed chase, a crash and a 7-year-old riding unsecured turned a Harris County pursuit into a child-safety case as well as a felony arrest.

Court records say Kwasi Mykhel Jack was arrested shortly after 1:50 a.m. Saturday, May 3, after officers tried to stop a stolen vehicle and he allegedly fled at a high rate of speed. The pursuit ended when Jack lost control and crashed. Authorities also said a firearm was involved during the incident.

The vehicle allegedly carried multiple people, including the child. The court documents say the 7-year-old was not secured in a child car seat, a detail that raises the case far beyond a routine evading-arrest allegation. Police have not publicly explained Jack’s relationship to the child or the other passengers, and they have not confirmed whether anyone was hurt in the crash.

Jack was charged with four felonies: child endangerment, evading arrest, unlawful use of a vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Court records also say he had a prior felony conviction in Louisiana for aggravated criminal damage to property.

Texas law requires children younger than 8 to ride in a child safety seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. State guidance says failing to properly restrain a child can bring a ticket of up to $250. Separate state law makes unauthorized use of a vehicle a state jail felony when someone knowingly operates another person’s motor vehicle without consent, and Texas law also makes it an offense for a convicted felon to possess a firearm under specified conditions.

The case highlights how quickly a stolen-car stop can spiral once a driver decides to run. In this instance, the alleged chain of events stretched from a stolen vehicle to a pursuit, then a crash, then a firearm charge, with a child inside the car and no safety seat in place. For Harris County, it is another stark example of how an enforcement call can become a threat to passengers, officers and everyone else on the road.