Two Perry males, one juvenile and one adult, were arrested shortly about 1:15 a.m. Thursday after leading a Perry Police Department officer on a 10-mile hot pursuit that ultimately engaged the Dallas County Sheriff’s office, the Boone County Sheriff’s office and the Iowa State Patrol.
Hector Luis Espinoza, 17, of 2111 Warford St. in Perry, drove the vehicle, a 1995 Mercury Sable registered to Jacey Spoo, 24, of 1315 1/2 Second St. in Perry. Spoo was not in the vehicle during the pursuit.
Timothy Glen Pittman, 23, of 1502 Sixth St. in Perry, was a passenger in the vehicle.
The pursuit began about 12:35 a.m. Thursday on Williams Street in east Perry. Espinoza drove west on Willis Avenue before turning northward on 16th Street. With Perry Police Department Officer Matt Aswegan following closely behind, the eluding vehicle turned west on Park Street, proceeded north along Eighth Street and then east on Duck Avenue.
For reasons unknown at this time, Espinoza refused to stop or pull over, and Aswegan pursued the vehicle eastward on E Avenue, which becomes Eagle Avenue before making a sharp easterly turn onto 320th Street. Boone County and Dallas County deputy sheriffs were by this time responding and closing in.
Soon after Espinoza turned southward on U.S. Highway 169 — reaching speeds exceeding 80 mph — his vehicle ran over spike strips placed across the highway near 335th Street by a Boone County deputy. Sparks were reportedly seen shooting from the rear of the vehicle.
Espinoza and Pittman were apprehended on 130th Street just west of U.S. Highway 169, just north of the Beaver Creek bridge, and were taken into custody after a brief foot chase.
Pittman was arrested on a charge of interference with official acts and on a Dallas County warrant for probation violation, according to the Perry Police Department. He was transported to the Dallas County Jail, according to a jailer in the Dallas County Sheriff’s office.
Dallas County EMS was summoned for Espinoza, who appeared to law enforcement officers on scene to be semi-responsive shortly after his arrest. He was transported to Dallas County Hospital for observation. His condition is unknown.
Espinoza was later charged with eluding, interference with official acts, driving under suspension and several moving violation, according to the Perry Police Department. He was turned over to authorities in the Juvenile justice system.
ThePerryNews.com will update this story as information becomes available.
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No one is above the law, sir, but we thank you for your earnest admonition. These are indeed delicate matters, and we have no wish to harm children. On the contrary, we wish to nurture and protect children, and we commend your similar solicitude in this case. While we are no lawyers, here appears to be the relevant portion of the Iowa Code 232(19)(4): “Information pertaining to a child who is at least ten years of age and who is taken into custody for a delinquent act which would be a public offense is a public record and is not confidential under section 232.147.” Judgement in such cases imposes itself as a painful duty and admits of considerable discretion. Again, we thank you for your concern and for reading ThePerryNews.com.