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TREMONTON — A woman was arrested twice Tuesday — first after allegedly getting into a chase with police, and then after allegedly stealing the police car she was placed in during her first arrest.
The wild series of events began just after 2 a.m. Tremonton's lone officer on patrol at that time attempted to stop a car for speeding near Main and Tremont Street, according to Chief David Nance. Following a short chase, the car occupied by four people stopped and the driver, Ashley Quintana, 28, of Roy, got out and ran, he said.
The officer ran after her and arrested her a short time later, Nance said. But before backup could arrive, the other three occupants of the car drove off.
A Box Elder County sheriff's deputy spotted the car in front of Bear River High School and arrested Caresa Chacon, 34, of Pocatello, who was still in the vehicle.
Both Chacon and Quintana were handcuffed with their hands placed behind their backs, according to Nance. Because the police patrol car can only hold one prisoner in the back seat, Chacon was seat-belted in the front passenger seat while Quintana was placed in the back, he said.
But as the officer was searching the suspects' vehicle, Chacon — still handcuffed — managed to crawl into the driver’s seat, put the vehicle in gear and drive away using her knee to steer, the chief said.
The patrol car was found abandoned about 4 a.m. in the area of 300 N. Main in Garland. Chacon, who managed to slip one of her hands out of the handcuffs, went to a random house saying she was cold and asking the residents to hide her from police, Nance said. The residents took her in from out of the cold, and then called police while she was there, he said. She was re-arrested about 5 a.m.
The search for Quintana and the other two suspects continued Tuesday. Nance said at least one of the other two was confirmed to be a man. The car the four were originally driving is believed to be registered to one of the other two occupants. Nance said investigators have a good idea who the other two occupants are.
He said some of those believed to be in the car have active warrants for their arrests, including Quintana and Chacon who has a warrant out of Idaho, he said.
Anyone with information about the missing occupants of the car is asked to call police at 435-734-3800.
