A Yelm man faces up to five years in prison after he allegedly sped from a Lewis County deputy at over 130 mph.
Alvaro Soto-Jassi, 22, is charged with one count each of attempting to elude a police vehicle and second-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Soto-Jassi made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on May 8.
Judge Paul Strophy granted the state’s request for a bail of $50,000 cash or bond, citing the defendant’s warrant history and multiple charges for driving with a suspended license.
As part of his release conditions, Soto-Jassi is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle.
He is scheduled for an arraignment on Thursday.
According to court documents, Soto-Jassi had two active warrants for driving with a suspended license at the time of his arrest.
He is also reportedly being investigated by the Washington State Patrol for a potential vehicular assault related to driving under the influence.
On Friday, Soto-Jassi’s attorney for the day, Rachael Tiller, said no charging decision had been made in that case.
According to a probable cause affidavit, on May 8, a Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw a sedan speeding on U.S. Highway 12 at around 12:30 a.m.
The sedan reportedly had a damaged brake light.
The deputy turned on his emergency lights and siren, but the sedan allegedly fled.
At one point, the deputy accelerated to “speeds of 130 mph and was still unable to keep up with the vehicle,” according to the affidavit.
The deputy ended the chase, but reportedly found the vehicle in the Randle area about an hour later, parked off Kiona Road.
As he approached, the deputy “could smell the hot brake pads,” according to the affidavit.
The driver, who had exited the sedan, allegedly said he’d been sleeping at the location for about two to three hours, but later “admitted that he had run from the deputy earlier because he did not want to go to jail,” according to the affidavit.
After receiving his Miranda warning, Soto-Jassi again allegedly admitted to fleeing from the deputy. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 3:10 a.m.
