By SALINA POST
Salina Police Department (SPD) officers arrested a 16-year-old girl early Thursday morning following a high-speed pursuit.
At 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 10, SPD officers were dispatched to the 300 block of East Claflin Avenue for a report of a burglary involving a 2017 Dodge Caravan. The vehicle’s owner, a 24-year-old man, said he was alerted by the alarm and saw one suspect inside his vehicle and two others standing outside. When the suspects fled, the victim chased them for a block before they escaped in a black Toyota Tacoma.
SPD Cpt. James Feldman said officers quickly located the suspect vehicle in the area of Norton Street and East Claflin Avenue, but the driver refused to stop, prompting a pursuit through east-central Salina, with speeds ranging from 20 to 70 mph.
Officers deployed stop sticks at several locations, but the Tacoma continued driving after running over them. The suspect vehicle eventually came to a stop in the 3100 block of Royal Drive, where police found only the 16-year-old driver inside.
Officers later determined that the Tacoma, valued at $2,000, had been stolen from the 300 block of Russell. The owner had left the key in the vehicle due to a transmission issue.
The 16-year-old was charged with fleeing and eluding, felony theft, burglary of a vehicle, attempted theft, and several driving infractions.
Feldman said SPD continues its investigation and is working to identify two other suspects involved in the incident.