Two arrested after eluding Border Patrol

Two Cochise County residents were arrested after leading Douglas Police on a chase through town.

On February 14, at approximately 2:40 p.m., Douglas Police assisted the U.S. Border Patrol in an attempt to locate a vehicle that had fled from Border Patrol from MM 3 on Hwy 191 to the U.S. Port of Entry.

 The vehicle was described as a white Cadillac bearing Arizona license plates.  The vehicle was last seen dropping off undocumented aliens at the U.S. Port of Entry, then fleeing at a high rate of speed eastbound on 1st St.

Shortly thereafter, Police located the vehicle at 9th St. and C Avenue and attempted to stop the vehicle.  The driver of the vehicle refused to stop for police and fled from police at a high rate of speed north on A Avenue. 

The vehicle then turned east on Hwy 80 and continued to flee from police at a high rate of speed.  The vehicle turned north on Washington Avenue, but lost control and suffered a right front tire blowout. 

The driver still refused to stop for police and continued to flee, now south on Washington Avenue.  The vehicle collided with a power pole guide wire at the southwest corner of the Hwy 80 and Washington Avenue intersection.  Police were finally able to apprehend and detain the driver of the vehicle, Stephen C. Haase 8-1-87, along with a female passenger in the vehicle, Jessica Nicole Sharp 9-16-88. 

Both vehicle occupants are from the Sierra Vista/Hereford area.  A search of the vehicle turned up an AK 47 assault rifle in the trunk of the vehicle, along with ammunition for the rifle and other ammunition.  Police turned over custody of the vehicle, property, and occupants to the U.S. Border Patrol for prosecution.

Police filed separate charges on the driver of the vehicle for Unlawful Flight from pursuing Law Enforcement, a class 5 felony.