Cd’A car chase leads to arrest of fugitive

A wanted fugitive was taken into custody Wednesday after a pursuit through Dalton Gardens and Coeur d’Alene. Patrick S. Dalton, 30, was spotted driving near Highway 95 and west Canfield Ave. on the north side of Coeur d’Alene about 3:30 p.m. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said Dalton was wanted as an escapee from community custody in Washington state as well as for a felony failure to appear warrant out of Nez Pierce County, Idaho. The warrant from Washington said Dalton’s original charge was drug-related and listed him as a violent offender and a Skinhead gang member. The Nez Pierce warrant was for eluding and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. When officers tried to stop him, deputies said Dalton tried to flee, which began a pursuit. The chase went southbound on north Fourth Street, through Dalton Gardens and finally toward Northwest Blvd. Dalton lost control of his car at Northwest Blvd. and Hubbard Ave., and he crashed into a center median. The vehicle became high-centered on some landscaping. The sheriff’s office said Dalton then tried to run from the scene and a K9 officer was deployed. The dog found him and a search of the area turned up about four ounces of what appeared to be methamphetamine. Dalton was treated at the scene for his contact with the K9 unit. No one else was injured in the pursuit. Also arrested were Dalton’s passengers. Brett C. Sears, 28, of Spokane was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance. Katie A. Gendron, 18, also of Spokane, was arrested on charges of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and frequenting. Idaho State Police was called to the scene to investigate the crash.