Car Chase Ends After Woman Loses Her Shoes

Sat., Oct. 9, 1999

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

Two men and a barefoot woman face a variety of charges after a car chase that even a telephone pole couldn’t stop.

The pursuit began when a Spokane police officer spotted a car driving improperly on Augusta, at Monroe, about 4 p.m. Wednesday. The car sped away, running stop signs and a red light, when the officer tried to stop the vehicle.

Police said the officer gave chase for a short distance before breaking off the pursuit. Instead, a power pole at Boone and Washington made the stop - but only temporarily.

Officers quickly chased down two men who ran from the wrecked vehicle, but a woman in the car moved into the driver’s seat, backed the car away from the pole and took off with three flat tires.

Meanwhile, police said one of the male suspects, Michael A. Pluid, the vehicle owner, claimed the car had just been stolen from him. Pluid didn’t explain why he was still in the car after it was allegedly stolen, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

When police caught up with the vehicle again, in a parking lot at Trent and Division, all that was left of the female suspect was her shoes.

A barefoot woman matching her description was seen crossing the Howard Street Bridge in Riverfront Park a few minutes later. She claimed at first that she had been in the park all day, but later admitted the shoes in the abandoned car were hers, Cottam said.

He said the woman, Sharon R. Hohenberger, had drug paraphernalia in her pocket and was booked into jail for that as well as an unrelated warrant. Hohenberger, 32, gave an address of 17810 E. Sprague.

Wayne L. Rodenbaugh, 38, who gave an address of 1211 E. Ermina, was booked on suspicion of drug possession. Pluid, 48, was cited on an unrelated warrant.

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