A Washington state woman is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after she allegedly drove her vehicle along a sidewalk in pursuit of a child riding a bike, police in Washington say.
On the evening of April 28, Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the report of a reckless driver who, they say, attempted to hit a juvenile and later tried to enter the home of a separate victim, investigators said in a Facebook statement earlier this week.
Footage of the incident, shared by the sheriff’s department, shows a silver sedan repeatedly honking its horn before turning around in the middle of the street and driving onto the sidewalk and along it towards a child on a bike.
The child, standing in the street, watches the vehicle before jumping onto their bike and quickly riding away as the car follows.
The driver then followed the juvenile on the sidewalk before re-entering the roadway and leaving the area.
No injuries were reported, police confirmed.
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The driver, identified by police as 56-year-old Wendy A. Clemente, was believed by police to be impaired — which, they say, she first denied. Clemente later admitted to consuming alcohol but maintained she did not have any recollection of the incident, according to the police statement.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., deputies received information regarding a reported residential burglary approximately 1 mile away from where the alleged interaction with the child occurred.
The victim, who was not home, told officers he was watching a suspect on his live security system as the suspect tried door handles, and it was unclear whether the suspect entered the residence, police said.
“Deputies responded to the second location and found Clemente and her silver Ford Focus parked in the victim’s driveway and arrested her,” the statement says.
While trying to put her in the back of a patrol car, Clemente resisted arrest and tried to kick a deputy, police said. She was eventually restrained and put back in the back of a police car.
After her arrest, Clemente told officers she had taken her dog for a drive to look for other dogs to socialize with and that she noticed the victim of the alleged attempted burglary’s dogs in a fenced yard, so she stopped.
She said she did not know the victim and denied entering or attempting to enter his home, police said. When asked, she said she did not recall the incident involving the juvenile on the bike, investigators said.
Clemente was booked into the Spokane County Jail for Assault 1st Degree (attempted), DUI, and Criminal Trespass 1st Degree, the police statement said.
The next day, Spokane County Superior Court Commissioner N. Swennumson ordered Clemente to be released on her own recognizance. She was released without having to post bond, it concluded.
It’s Washington of coarse she is released..
She should have been breathalyzed, booked, and left to dry out in a cell for 48 hours – then had her car impounded for a month or two.
She should have been breathalyzed, booked into a cell, and left there to dry out – after her car was impounded for a month or more.