Muldrow Woman Leads Police on Chase into Arkansas

A felony arrest warrant was issued Jan. 21 for a Muldrow woman accused of four crimes.

Summer Sanchez, 22, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, which is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $500; endangering others while eluding a police officer, punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $5,000; harboring a fugitive from justice, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine; and the false reporting of a crime, which is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of $500.

At 11:10 a.m. on Dec. 22, Roland police were dispatched to an apartment complex in reference to a domestic disturbance. The reporting party called in the disturbance between Sanchez and her boyfriend, Jorge Orozco.

When an officer arrived, he parked near the vehicle the couple was sitting in. As he exited his patrol unit, Summer Sanchez, who was driving the vehicle, backed up and turned to the left in an attempt to drive off. The officer began giving commands for her to stop the vehicle, then he opened her door, trying to get her to stop. The vehicle then accelerated, hitting the officer’s patrol car, causing minor injuries to the officer.

The officer then grabbed Sanchez’s arm in an attempt to get her out of the car, but she drove off, turning south on Roland Road toward Highway 64.

Roland Police Chief Tommy Sessums then picked up the pursuit. As he approached Roland Road, Sanchez’s vehicle turned west and accelerated on Highway 64. Sessums immediately activated his lights and sirens but the car did not stop. As Sanchez approached the stoplight at Roland Road and Highway 64, all the lanes were occupied, so she changed lanes trying to find an escape route. Finding none, she drove to the grassy area on the right shoulder to go around the stopped vehicles. As she did so, another vehicle was moving to the shoulder to move over for Sessums and was nearly struck by Sanchez. When Sanchez drove through the intersection, the light was red for eastbound traffic.

With Sessums still in pursuit, their speed was about 70 mph in a 45 mph zone near Carson Road. The pursuit continued east and as they neared the Moffett Store east of Cosner Road, Sessums said the vehicle’s speed was about 90 mph in a 60 mph zone.

Traffic was light during the pursuit in Oklahoma, but once they neared the Moffett store, Sanchez made an abrupt lane change to pass a vehicle, leaving only a car length or two between her and the vehicle on the right. She then crossed into Fort Smith, Ark.

During the pursuit, Sessums said, based on what he saw inside the vehicle, he believed Sanchez was being held against her will by Orozco. He said it appeared as if Orozco was in the driver’s seat with her. Based on that belief, Sessums continued the pursuit into Fort Smith.

The pursuit continued for several minutes, with Sanchez continuing to drive erratically, running red lights and stop signs and cutting off vehicles before finally crashing into a vehicle just north of the Walmart store on Zero Street. Orozco was taken into custody after a brief foot chase and Sanchez was transported to a hospital.

The officer who was injured trying to stop Sanchez from driving away from her mother’s home was sent to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.

Officers later spoke with Sanchez, who said she and Orozco had been fighting that morning because he was high. She said her sister thought Orozco was going to kick her, but he was actually kicking the windshield and began to threaten to hurt the cat. Sanchez said she drove to Roland and her sister showed up after they got to the house and Orozco began freaking out again. Sanchez said she didn’t get out of the car because Orozco was finally calming down, and when Roland police showed up, he began freaking out again.

Sanchez said the officer opened the car door and put his foot on the brake and was pulling the steering wheel. She said she was unsure why the officer was doing that but that he basically ran himself over. She said the officer actually put his foot on the gas instead of the brake.

Sanchez said all she was worried about was getting her sister out of the way. She said when the Roland officer let go of her she hit the patrol unit and Orozco freaked out, saying they needed to get out of Oklahoma and began pulling her hair. She said he kept pulling her hair, telling her she needed to drive and not to stop. She also said she was worried about the baby she is carrying.

Sanchez said Orozco was choking her and grabbing her hair but that he never hit her.

 Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

For more news stories stay tuned to The MIX 105.1 or visit www.kxmx.com