Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a York woman after a pursuit in Sarpy County Monday.
Monday afternoon at approximately 3:45 p.m., a trooper saw a Buick sedan that had been reported stolen as it was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 near Gretna. The trooper performed a traffic stop near mile marker 435 and the driver initially stopped. The driver then refused to follow commands and accelerated, fleeing eastbound and causing a pursuit to ensue.
The driver fled with speeds above 100 miles per hour and drove on the shoulder at times before exiting I-80 at the Highway 370 interchange. The vehicle continued fleeing eastbound on Highway 370, running red lights and weaving through traffic on numerous occasions. Troopers contacted the Omaha Police Department’s Able-1 to assist with the pursuit from the air.
The suspect continued on surface streets for several minutes, at times driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic. The driver then reentered I-80 traveling westbound and exited northbound onto 144th street. Another trooper successfully deployed stop sticks on 144th street to slow the vehicle. The suspect turned into a residential neighborhood near 144th and Giles, drove through a park with kids present, and then drove through multiple backyard fences. Troopers found the vehicle abandoned in the middle of the street near South 154th Avenue and Chalco Pointe Drive.
Additional troopers, officers, deputies, and K9 units responded to assist in searching the area. A short time later, Able-1 pilots identified a subject in the area that matched the suspect description. Troopers then took the suspect into custody without further incident.
The driver, Raquel Cervantes, 28, of York, was arrested for theft by receiving stolen property, flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, criminal mischief – $5,000+, and numerous traffic violations. She was lodged in Sarpy County Jail.
