A Salina man sought in connection to a reported aggravated assault March 9 was taken into custody Monday night after a brief chase through the central part of the city.
Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said this morning that at 6:20 p.m. March 9, a black four-door passenger car was reported to have almost struck a female in the 300 block of Oakdale Drive. The car was believed to be a Chevrolet Malibu with custom rims, he said.
During the reported incident, the car allegedly chased the woman across a grass area in the 300 block of Oakdale Drive, Forrester said. The woman ran toward a residence in that block and the male driver got out of the car and allegedly started throwing objects at the woman, he said. Additionally, a witness heard the male threaten the female, Forrester said.
Through studying area surveillance video, officers were able to identify the male as Deric Bell, 29, of Salina, who had an active warrant from Salina Municipal Court for failure to appear, Forrester said.
At approximately 7 p.m. Monday, an officer observed a black 2008 Chevrolet Malibu turn onto North Oakdale Avenue without using a turn signal, Forrester said. When the officer attempted to stop the car in the 200 block of North Oakdale Avenue, the car accelerated and, at times drove at approximately 60 mph through the area, he said.
During the chase, the Malibu was westbound on Gypsum Avenue when it attempted, and failed, to turn south onto South Front Street, instead driving into a yard in the 100 block of South Front Street, Forrester explained. The car became disabled and the driver, Bell, was arrested on the active warrant, and on suspicion of the following, Forrester said.
For the March 9 incident:
Aggravated assault
Criminal threat
Domestic violence assault
Driving while revoked
Reckless driving
For the Monday night incident:
Felony flee and elude
Driving while revoked
No proof of insurance
Improper driving on laned roadways
Seven counts of failure to stop at a stopsign
Four counts of not using a turn signal
Speeding
Reckless driving
Forrester said that a passenger in the vehicle, Alexandria Moreno, 28, of Salina, told police that she was the woman involved the March 9 incident. Moreno also had an active warrant and was arrested, he said. According to the Saline County Jail booking log, Moreno was booked into jail for probation violation and failure to appear.