2 stolen cars, 2 crashes and a damaged patrol car part of Kennewick crime spree
A man believed to be responsible for a Thursday morning crime spree in Kennewick is in jail.
Digoberto Galvez, 31, is linked to two stolen cars, two crashes, a busted Kennewick police car and at least one fight.
The string of crimes started shortly before 8 a.m. when someone spotted a possible fight at a business at the corner of First Avenue and Gum Street, Kennewick police said in a release.
Before officers could get to the area, the people involved had sped away in a white and a dark SUV, heading south in Highway 397 toward Finley.
An officer spotted two SUVs that matched the description heading east on Third Avenue and then they turned south on Oak Street.
When the officer tried to stop them, the dark-colored SUV sped up and swerved around the white SUV, nearly causing an accident. The two cars were last seen heading toward Finley on East Seventh Avenue.
The SUVs showed up a short time later, this time someone spotted them speeding and driving recklessly near East Finley Road and South Havana Street. Soon after, there was a crash involving the cars.
When deputies showed up, the people in the vehicles had already ran from the scene.
One was the driver of the dark-colored SUV, Digoberto Galvez. Passersby saw him running through private property, and trying to hide. While deputies searched the area, Gavlez allegedly stole a silver Buick.
Stolen cars, broken doors
Galvez drove to the 3100 block of South Olympia Street, where he then stole a Subaru, Kennewick police said.
The Subaru’s owners were inside of a home when they heard the Buick pull in and heard the door of their car open and close. They noticed a man sitting in the driver’s seat of their car and watched it pull out.
One of them got into the Buick, which was still running, and started following his Subaru. His wife called 911 to report the theft.
Then at 10:35 a.m., Galvez allegedly crashed the Subaru near the corner of South Cascade Street and South Highland Drive. He tried running away, but several people in the area stopped him from escaping, said police.
There were reports he was armed with a large knife, Kennewick police said.
After he was arrested, police tried taking him to Trios Southridge Hospital to be checked out before being taken to the jail. As they were heading there, Galvez was handcuffed but started kicking the rear passenger door.
He ended up bending the door so that the corner was out of its frame and he busted the window, said police.
The damage was bad enough that the officer in the front passenger seat couldn’t get out.
Other officers arrived to help move him to another patrol car. When they started taking him out, Galvez allegedly tried to punch the officers in the face.
They got him back into restraints and set off for Trios again, but he was soon kicking at the window again.
This time Kennewick police asked for help from Pasco, and to use a wrap restraint, which wraps people into a blanket bound by straps. As they were placing him into these restraints he spit on an officer, said the release.
He was treated at Trios and then taken to the Benton County jail on suspicion of attempting to elude, driving with a suspended license, auto theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, hit-and-run, two counts of malicious mischief and two counts of third-degree assault.