Chase Ends In Two Arrests

What began as a report of a crashed car in the South Valley evolved into a chase for Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department deputies Wednesday morning, with the fleeing driver traveling in the opposite lanes of traffic before being forced off the road by deputies.

The driver arrested in the incident was identified by the Sheriff’s Department as Irene Enriquez, 28. Also arrested was the passenger, Joshua Benavidez, also 28.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, about 6:45 a.m. deputies were sent to Rio Bravo and Second SW to check on a report of a crashed vehicle by the road.

Arriving deputies found the female driver — later identified as Enriquez — slumped over the steering wheel, Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Sam White said in a news release.

When she awoke, she “rapidly put the vehicle into drive and almost struck one of the deputies as she fled,” he said.

With officers in pursuit, she drove into oncoming lanes of traffic, running vehicles off the road, and could not maintain her own lanes or direction well, White said. “The driver was an immediate high risk to public safety,” he said.

The fleeing car was then driven south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 25 at Rio Bravo, continuing south on the shoulder of the road, while a deputy set up and stopped traffic near the Broadway exit, according to White.

The car crossed the median in front of a deputy and one or two of its tires went over a spike belt put out by the deputy, but the car didn’t stop, continuing north on Broadway, he said.

Because the driver presented extreme danger to the public, several attempts were made by deputies using their cars to try and stop the fleeing vehicle. “We used a pursuit and intervention technique, where the officer will come up and match up bumpers with the fleeing vehicle, and try to spin the vehicle 180 degrees, while the other officers try to box them in,” White said in an interview.

Enriquez and Benavidez were arrested without incident.

White credited no injuries or damage occurring to other drivers’ vehicles to “the quick thinking and tenacity of our deputies.”

Enriquez is facing multiple charges, including aggravated fleeing from an officer, conspiracy, tampering with evidence, drunken driving and multiple traffic offenses.

Enriquez had a misdemeanor warrant, and Benavidez had seven, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Benavidez will be charged with conspiracy, tampering with evidence and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana), White said.
— This article appeared on page 1 of the West Side Journal