2 men arrested after chase through Basin

GRANT COUNTY - Two gang members allegedly led police on a high speed chase in a stolen vehicle Thursday night.

About 11:45 p.m., a Mattawa police officer tried to pull over a 1998 Honda Civic after the driver, Luis Manuel Ramirez, 20, of Moses Lake reportedly made an illegal U-turn at Road 24 Southwest and state Route 243. The officer pursued the vehicle to Road O Southwest before stopping the pursuit. The officer also noticed the vehicle did not have a rear license plate, according to the sheriff's office.

About 30 minutes later, sheriff's office Gang Unit deputies responding to the original pursuit call were taking a shortcut through Adams County.

That's when they spotted the suspect's vehicle heading east on state Route 24. Deputies reportedly tried to stop the vehicle and Ramirez allegedly took off.

The pursuit continued into Othello when Ramirez eventually pulled into a driveway on Cunningham Road. Ramirez reportedly drove through a yard and over a 2-foot concrete retaining wall, disabling the vehicle. It was found to be stolen out of Warden, according to the sheriff's office.

Ramirez and the passenger, Armando Perez, 24, of Warden, allegedly fled the vehicle on foot. Ramirez allegedly tried to hide under a potato truck and was taken into custody without incident. Ramirez was reportedly in possession of an 8" knife when he was arrested. Perez reportedly had to be subdued with a Taser before being taken into custody. Both suspects were booked into Grant County Jail.

Ramirez was booked on suspicion of stolen vehicle possession, attempting to elude police, dangerous weapon possession, resisting arrest, a state Department of Corrections warrant and a warrant for failing to appear for second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Perez was booked on suspicion of stolen vehicle possession and resisting arrest.

"Deputies had a hunch the car was going to continue eastbound and that state Route 24 was the most likely route," Sheriff Tom Jones said. "The Mattawa officer gave a great description of the car, and once deputies crossed paths with the Honda, they knew they had found the suspects they were looking for."

Perez was reportedly also involved in a pursuit in November, when he fled a Warden police officer following a traffic stop. The officer followed Perez into Othello until the officer struck another vehicle and Perez fled, according to previous reports from the Columbia Basin Herald.