Man in stolen vehicle eludes officers, was found later at bar

A Cedar Rapids man who was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle got away from police for a few hours Thursday, only to be captured later in the evening at a bar.

Around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, a police officer spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen on Glass Road NE, but when the officer tried to make the traffic stop, the driver took off. The driver led officers on a chase, but eventually abandoned the vehicle and was able to get away, acccording to the police report.

Before they lost sight, police recognized the driver as Joshua D. McCool, 20.

Officers were making a routine bar check at Club Toxic, 616 Second Ave. SE, around 11:45 p.m. when they saw McCool inside. He tried to run out the back of the bar, but was arrested, police said.

McCool was taken to the Linn County Jail on suspicion of second-degree theft, driving while barred, failure to yield to emergency vehicles, public intoxication and possession of marijuana.

After an initial court appearance on a second-degree theft charge and an Oct. 26 assault charge, McCool remains in jail in lieu of $17,000 cash bail. According to the complaint charging him with assault causing bodily injury, McCool punched a woman with whom he was living at 262 12th St. NW.