An incident that began with the escape of an 18-year old man from the Clarinda Academy Monday afternoon escalated into a pursuit, crash and the arrest of a Nebraska woman, along with return of the escapee. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says at around 1:17-p.m. Monday, they were advised 18-year old Luis David Penaloza had fled a Clarinda Academy building and gotten into a silver Dodge Durango that was waiting outside of the building for him.

Academy staff had located the vehicle west bound on State Street (business HWY 2) on the west side of the Clarinda city limits. Deputies on Highway 2 west of Clarinda located the vehicle approximately 4 miles west of town. It was traveling westbound at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was observed driving recklessly as it passed other vehicles.

Deputies attempted to stop the Durango, which failed to stop for the fully marked patrol vehicle with red / blue lights and audible siren activated. Stop-sticks were deployed by a Page County Deputy in an attempt to safely slow the vehicle to stop. The driver of the vehicle attempted to steer around the tire deflating devices causing the vehicle to go into the south ditch.

The driver, identified as 18-year old Jocylyn Loeza-Garcia, of Bellevue, NE, steered the vehicle back onto Highway 2. A Page County Deputy had pulled parallel to the Durango when it was in the south ditch, but the Page County patrol vehicle had stayed in the westbound lane. When the SUV Durango came back onto the highway from the south ditch, Loeza-Garcia steered the vehicle into the Page County Patrol vehicle, causing approximately $3,500 damage to the driver’s side front fender and that portion of the headlight grill assembly.

Loeza-Garcia was arrested and charged with Felony Eluding, Felony assault on a Peace Officer with a dangerous weapon (automobile), and numerous other misdemeanor traffic violations. She remains in custody at the Page County Jail on $5000 bond.

Luis David Penaloza, the Truant Clarinda Academy student, was returned to the custody of the Clarinda Academy without further incident. Charges are possible on Penaloza pending completion of the investigation.  Another 15 year old female passenger, who is a family member to Loeza-Garcia, also from Nebraska, who was in the vehicle, was also taken into custody. She was later released to her mother and father.