Fleeing couple throw garden tools at police in Spokane Valley

Fri., Sept. 16, 2016

By Nina Culver nculver47@gmail.com

Spokane Valley streets and Interstate 90 briefly resembled a garden shed Thursday night after two people fleeing from police in a stolen van reportedly threw garden tools – including a gas powered weed trimmer – out the back of the vehicle in an effort to escape.

The chase started in Post Falls and crossed into Spokane County around 6:45 p.m. The van, driven by 28-year-old Amber M. Vazquez, went west on I-90, got off at Sullivan Road and drove around near the Spokane Valley Mall before getting back on the freeway, according to court documents.

As Vazquez drove her husband, 32-year-old Adolfo D. Vazquez, allegedly broke out the back windows of the van and began throwing items out. The flying tools included a leaf blower, lumber, metal rakes, a gas can, a metal shovel and an ax. Pursuing deputies were forced to evade the tools, according to court documents.

A Liberty Lake police officer involved in the chase said he saw Adolfo Vazquez hanging out a side window attempting to put gas from a gas can into the van while it was being driven at high speeds, according to court documents.

The driver lost control of the van after exiting the freeway at Pines, and it slid into a field. The couple ran away and police dog Gunnar chased down Adolfo Vazquez while deputies captured his wife.

Amber Vazquez reportedly told deputies she stole the van for transportation so she could get off drugs and “get her life together,” court documents say.

Adolfo Vazquez was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, assault, reckless endangerment, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest. Amber Vazquez is facing charges of attempting to elude police, theft of a motor vehicle, driving with a suspended license and obstructing a police officer.

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