A 22-year-old Newton woman was arrested Thursday night after a brief chase through the east side of the city.
According to a Newton Police Department report, Jerrica L. Sanders, 22, was arrested by officers after another female reported Sanders for allegedly stealing her car. At about 10:35 p.m., officers were dispatched to investigate a possible stolen vehicle at 222 E. 11th St. S.
The registered owner of a red Mercury Mountaineer SUV told police Sanders had been at the residence earlier and had taken the keys to the vehicle, despite being told by the owner not to drive it, and she left in the Mountaineer.
The owner completed a voluntary sworn statement, and said she wanted to press auto theft charges against Sanders. While officers were on scene, Sanders pulled up in the vehicle, and fled the scene after police told her to park and get out.
She drove back to the residence on E. 11th St. S., stopped briefly, with police behind her, then took police through several streets, and reached speeds as fast as 40 mph in the nearby Hy-Vee grocery store parking lot.
Sanders then drove the SUV back to the residence on E. 11th St. S., where she was ordered out of the vehicle in the driveway and handcuffed. The pursuit lasted about six minutes.
The report says she banged her head against a police vehicle during an initial search, while being transported to Jasper County Jail. The report also alleges Sanders resisted jailer’s commands, and a stun device had to be used more than once as they secured her arms and legs.
A no-contact order had been in place, so Sanders was charged with violating that order. She was also charged with interference with police acts, eluding and second-degree theft.
Thursday’s incident wasn’t the first time in the past couple of years when Sanders was arrested, according to Newton Daily News police blotter.
In January, Sanders was arrested at the same address where Thursday’s alleged auto theft took place. Newton Police at that mid-afternoon incident to find Sanders and another woman yelling at each other, and had physically restrain Sanders, eventually taking her to jail.
In February 2014, Sanders was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, based on an incident at an apartment at 1501 N. 11th Ave. E. Authorities were told Sanders had displayed a knife and had purposely cut her hand, and Sanders had driven from Michigan to confront a person who had recently ended a relationship with her.
Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com