Woman who escaped Tremonton police officer in his stolen patrol car now back in custody

Ashley Quintana. Photo: Tremonton PD

TREMONTON, Utah, Dec. 28, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A woman who escaped from a Tremonton police officer when a second suspect drove them away in the patrol car — where the officer had left them, handcuffed — is now back in custody.

Ashley Quintana, 28, was arrested after nearly a week on the lam, officials confirmed to Gephardt Daily.

Quintana was the driver of a vehicle stopped for speeding at about 2 a.m. Dec. 19. According to a statement from the Tremonton Police Department, she and three passengers fled the scene on foot. After a short chase, the officer took Quintana into custody.

Before backup officers could arrive on scene, the suspect vehicle left with some or all of the passengers.

“A short time later, the suspect vehicle was located by a Box Elder County deputy in front of Bear River High,” the police statement says. The occupant, 34-year-old Caresa Chacon, was taken into custody.

“Both females (Quintana and Chacon) were handcuffed behind their backs and secured in the Tremonton officer’s vehicle. The patrol vehicle’s prisoner partition only accommodates one person.”

With Chacon seat belted into the front passenger seat and Quintana secured in the back, the backup deputy left the Tremonton officer to search for the two outstanding suspects.

“The Tremonton officer began inventorying the suspect vehicle,” the police statement says. “During the inventory, the officer noticed his patrol vehicle begin to move. As he returned to his vehicle, he found that Chacon (still cuffed) had crawled into the driver’s seat and had gotten the vehicle in gear. The officer attempted to stop the suspect, but she was able to drive away from the scene.”

A short time later, the vehicle was found abandoned in the area of 300 N. Main St., Garland, the statement says. Both women had fled on foot. Officers searched the area, but only found Chacon, who was taken into custody.

Quintana is charged with:

  • Failure to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, a third-degree felony
  • Escape, a third-degree felony
  • A second count of failure to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, this one a Class A misdemeanor
  • Reckless driving, a Class B misdemeanor

Information on charges against Chacon was not immediately available.

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