An employee at a 99 cent store got taken on a hair-raising ride in his attempt to stop a suspected shoplifter.

The ride also landed the suspect, identified as Jason Patterson, 39, in jail on allegations of kidnapping, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.

The incident began around 5 p.m. Sunday at the 99 cent store at 701 Golden State Blvd. A loss prevention agent at the store suspected Patterson of slipping something into his pocket and leaving without paying for it. The loss prevention agent followed Patterson out of the store and flagged down another store employee, who was outside gathering shopping carts.

The employee tried to stop Patterson, but Patterson got into his truck and then quickly backed up, almost striking the employee.

“To avoid being hit the employee jumped into the bed of the truck,” said Turlock Police spokesperson Officer Mayra Lewis.

The employee was kicking at the back window and asking the suspect to stop, but Patterson allegedly kept going. At one point Patterson did slow down long enough for a female passenger to get out of the truck, but sped up again before the employee could get out, Lewis said.

About a dozen blocks later Patterson abandoned the truck and took off on foot. He was found by officers walking in the area. Patterson initially denied being the driver of the truck, but changed his story after he was found in possession of the keys.

It is unknown if Patterson took anything from the 99 cent store.