ARLINGTON — An Arlington woman is under investigation for assault and unlawful imprisonment after she reportedly flagged down a van, choked and struck the driver, tried to take control of the vehicle, and then bailed out, jumping into the bed of a passing pickup.
Methamphetamine is believed to be a factor, Arlington police said in court papers.
The woman, 38, flagged down the van’s driver at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday along N. Olympic Avenue.
The suspect told the driver, a 45-year-old woman, that she was being chased and needed a ride.
The driver later told police that she agreed to give the woman a ride to a nearby gas station. But when they got to the destination, the suspect said she needed a longer ride to Smokey Point.
The driver, who had her 10-year-old daughter in the van, said that wasn’t possible. They needed to be somewhere.
That’s when the woman climbed onto the van’s center console and began choking the driver, who had a scarf around her neck. She also elbowed her in the face, bloodying her nose and chipping a front tooth, a police report said.
The suspect continued to choke the driver with the scarf while pressing her foot on the accelerator.
The van shot forward, blasting through a stop sign at Highway 530, police said.
The driver fought back and was able to get control of the van, pulling to the shoulder.
That’s when the suspect jumped out and began flagging down other vehicles. Traffic slowed. People thought there had been a crash.
The suspect jumped into the back of a red pickup truck headed eastbound on 211th Place NE. She then jumped out and ran to a nearby house.
The pickup truck’s driver called 911 and officers took the woman into custody.
She reportedly told them that she’d been choked in the van by a man who used a dog leash, and acknowledged choking the driver and trying to take control of the vehicle.
The woman showed signs of being under the influence of meth, and told police she believed her husband was injecting her with the drug while she sleeps, according to court papers.
Scott North: 425-339-3431; north@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snorthnews.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
