Warden man sentenced for unlawful imprisonment, eluding

EPHRATA — A Warden man was sentenced for forcing a woman into a vehicle and leading police on a three county pursuit.

Victor Delasancha Diaz, 28, of Warden, pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment and attempting to elude. Grant County Superior Court Judge John Knodell followed a joint recommendation between Deputy Prosecutor Carole Highland and defense attorney Rafael Gonzales and sentenced Delasancha Diaz to 18 months. Delasancha Diaz was initially charged with second-degree kidnapping, but the charge was amended in a plea agreement between Highland and Gonzales. A charge of reckless endangerment was dropped in a plea agreement between the two attorneys.

Delasancha Diaz’s sentence stems from an incident on Nov. 19, when the Warden Police Department was investigating a series of forced entries at an apartment complex. The WPD received information that a SUV had been seen driving around the apartment complex numerous times when the forced entries had occurred, according to police records.

A officer observed a SUV on Washington Street and starting following the vehicle as it turned onto Eighth Street. The rear license plate light on the SUV wasn’t working and the officer turned on his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights. The vehicle immediately accelerated and the officer initiated a pursuit.

The driver of the SUV, Delasancha Diaz, reportedly fled at speeds in excess of 100 mph. During the pursuit the officer was told that Adams County dispatch had received a cellphone call from a woman yelling at someone fleeing from police in a vehicle and advising the driver, Delasancha Diaz, “wouldn’t go back to jail again.”

The chase continued into Adams County and eventually went into Franklin County. While on North Glade Road Delasancha Diaz drove off of the road and went into a field. He drove the SUV off a water reservoir and stopped on the other side of the embankment. Delasancha Diaz got out of the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. A K-9 unit was eventually able to track him down and he was taken into custody, according to police records.

Delasancha Diaz received injuries from the K-9 unit biting him and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The woman who contacted police stating she was in the vehicle with Delasancha Diaz was transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake after complaining of shoulder, chest and stomach pains after the pursuit had ended.

The victim told police she didn’t know who Delasancha Diaz was and said he showed up at her residence in Moses Lake stating he wanted sex, drugs, money, food, rides, TV and other things. She said Delasancha Diaz tried to get her to use methamphetamine and heroin. Delasancha Diaz forced the woman to give him a ride to his residence with a knife and baton.

“She said they went to his (Delasancha Diaz’s) house and that there his brother kept asking him if he needed a gun,” wrote a officer. “I asked her if he had a gun and she said she did not know whether or not he actually had one.”

The victim said she did not know why Delasancha Diaz led police on the high-speed chase.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.