Four suspects were arrested Friday afternoon, Aug. 22, after they reportedly fled the scene of a collision near Harrison Avenue and West First Street in Centralia.
The hit-and-run suspects were apprehended about an hour and a half later in Cowlitz County.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) stated Saturday morning that the suspects’ vehicle, a black Ford Fusion, had fled the scene of the accident before Centralia police could respond.
Chehalis police subsequently located the vehicle in the Chehalis Walmart parking lot, “but it fled from an officer onto Interstate 5,” according to a release from the LCSO.
Sheriff’s deputies then located the vehicle in Toledo — right before it fled again.
According to the LCSO, the pursuit led south into Cowlitz County, and was aided by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, the Castle Rock Police Department and the Washington State Patrol.
After attempting — and failing — to cross over a “steep embankment” that bordered the road, the driver and three passengers exited the vehicle and fled on foot.
The four suspects were “quickly surrounded by law enforcement and taken into custody,” according to the LCSO. A vehicle search turned up drug paraphernalia.
Dashcam footage from the LCSO shows a deputy exit his vehicle and run toward the edge of the hill at 1:59 p.m. Other law enforcement officers are seen in the vicinity with guns drawn. The suspects — presumably located at the bottom of the hill — cannot be seen in the video.
The driver, Joleen R. Tenorio, 31, of Battle Ground, was arrested and booked for attempting to elude and third-degree driving with a suspended license. According to the LCSO, Tenorio has multiple arrest warrants and faces charges from both the Centralia Police Department and Chehalis Police Department.
Tenorio has a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Monday, Aug. 25.
Juan Mallon, 25, of Vancouver, Washington, was arrested and booked for obstructing a law enforcement officer. Mallon has a warrant from the Department of Corrections.
The other passengers, Danniel Evangelista, 30, and George Mendiola, 31, both of Silver Lake, Washington, were booked for obstructing a law enforcement officer.
A press log from the Centralia Police Department indicated the hit-and-run occurred about 12:23 p.m. on Friday. According to the log, the officers located the suspects — at least initially — using the Flock Safety camera system.
