Woman charged in low-speed Moses Lake pursuit
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake woman was charged for leading police on a low-speed pursuit through Moses Lake.
Grant County prosecutors charged Charlotte Albert, 50, of Moses Lake, with second-degree assault (deadly weapon), third-degree assault (law enforcement) and attempting to elude in Grant County Superior Court.
About 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 3 a Moses Lake Police Department officer was advised of a suspicious vehicle in the area of South Balsam Street and East Broadway Avenue. The driver of the vehicle was reportedly driving slow in the roadway and making sporadic stops.
The officer pulled up behind the vehicle on North Stratford Road, where it was reportedly traveling 18 mph in a 30 mph zone. The driver, alleged to be Albert, allegedly made several illegal lane maneuvers and pulled into the Grocery Outlet parking lot, according to police records.
Albert stopped the car, but when a officer opened the driver’s door and grabbed her arm, she reportedly smiled and quickly accelerated forward. Police pursued the vehicle at low speeds through the area, with an MLPD officer unsuccessfully deploying spike strips on the vehicle at the Valley Road/Sunburst Court intersection. A second set of spikes near the Grape Drive/Central Drive intersection was successful in deflating three tires on Albert’s vehicle.
Albert continued driving, however, and reportedly pulled into a parking lot in the 900 block of North Stratford Road. Despite the presence of several pedestrians in the parking lot, Albert continued eluding the pursuing officers at speeds between 11 and 13 mph. She eventually turned back onto North Stratford Road, but quickly turned into the Ross parking lot in the 900 block of North Stratford Road.
“The vehicle went straight through the parking lot past Petco and turned back into the Walmart parking lot towards Big Lots. Three civilian vehicles saw us driving towards them and began to pull in front of the suspect vehicle to form a block,” wrote a officer. “The vehicle would drive around the civilian vehicles.”
After confirming Albert’s identity, the pursuit of her vehicle was terminated and officers stopped following her. About 9:20 p.m. MACC Dispatch received additional calls about Albert’s driving and the pursuit began again.
Troopers with the Washington State Patrol joined the pursuit and attempted three PIT maneuvers on Albert’s vehicle, the second of which spun Albert’s vehicle 180 degrees. When the two vehicles were separated Albert accelerated and intentionally rammed the trooper’s vehicle, according to police records. The third PIT maneuver was successful and Albert’s vehicle spun 90 degrees.
“(The trooper) began to push Albert’s vehicle sideways down Broadway (Avenue) at a 90-degree angle. I observed Albert in the vehicle smoking a cigarette and the front tires still rotating as Albert held down the accelerator in an attempt to continue to drive,” wrote a officer.
The trooper pushed Albert’s vehicle for several hundred feet and she was taken into custody after an officer broke out the driver’s side window in her car. A search warrant was obtained for Albert’s blood, as police believed she was possibly driving while under the influence.
The pursuit is not Albert's first run-in with authorities in recent months. In August she allegedly forced her way into her neighbor's home while naked and grabbed a 5-year-old boy who was brushing his teeth. Albert is facing charges of first-degree burglary, three counts of indecent exposure (victim under 14) and fourth-degree assault in connection with the incident.