Teens booked after 80-mph chase

Two Vancouver teenagers were among four people arrested Thursday after they allegedly broke into several cars at a Longview boat launch along the Columbia River and — during a wild high-speed vehicle pursuit through a residential area of Longview — threw beer cans and stolen stereo parts from their Volkswagen at police.

“They hit 80 mph going through the Highlands area in Longview,” said Deputy Tory Shelton with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office. “They blew a couple of stop signs at 80 mph. One of the beer cans did hit one of our patrol cars.”

No collisions were reported in the eight-minute pursuit and no one was reported injured, but officers found a loaded handgun in the suspects’ car, Shelton said.

It began about 2:45 p.m. Thursday when someone called 911 to say several people were smashing windows of cars parked at the Willow Grove boat launch and park on the outskirts of Longview, according to a bulletin from the sheriff’s office.

At least four cars had been prowled, and stereo speakers and amps stolen.

Witnesses said the suspects drove away into Longview in a black Volkswagen Golf.

Minutes later, a sheriff’s deputy spotted the 1994 Volkswagen and signalled the driver to pull over, but the driver accelerated away, the bulletin said.

With officers with the Longview Police Department and Washington State Patrol joining the pursuit, a sheriff’s deputy used a patrol car to push the Volkswagen into a spin and it stopped. The driver, a 17-year-old boy believed to be from Vancouver, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to elude police, a felony; car prowling and theft; DUI and being a minor in possession of alcohol. His name was not released.

Police also arrested the three passengers for alleged felony eluding police, because they threw the beer cans and stereo components at police while trying to hinder the pursuing officers, Shelton said.

The passengers also were arrested on suspicion of other crimes, the bulletin said:

• Ronny R. Padilla, 19, of Vancouver, for alleged vehicle prowling and theft; third-degree assault and reckless endangerment; and minor possessing intoxicants.

• Marcial Gonzales-Figueroa, 21, of Kelso, on suspicion of vehicle prowling and theft; and providing alcohol to a minor.

• Pablo Gonzales-Figueroa, 19, of Castle Rock, for alleged unlawful possession of the handgun found in the car; vehicle prowling and theft; reckless endangerment; and possessing intoxicants by a minor.

Witnesses who saw the car-prowling at the park identified the suspects, police said.