K-9 Chicka helps take down suspect with felony drug warrant

SCHWANA — K-9 Chicka helped deputies track down and take a man who had a felony drug warrant out for his arrest into custody on Friday.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office says deputies and officers with the Mattawa Police Department were searching the town of Beverly Friday night for a drive-by shooting suspect when a Mattawa officer saw a vehicle that was similar to the one the suspect is known to drive.

The driver of the vehicle in question, later identified as Joel Gomez Sanchez, 21, reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign and started driving to Schwana at a high speed. Sanchez reportedly jumped out of the vehicle as it was still in motion in the 18000 block of Second Avenue Southwest in Schwana and fled on foot.

K-9 Chicka and her handler, Cpl. Ric Char, started searching the area and reportedly found the suspect hiding under an abandoned double-wide trailer. He was taken into custody and transported to Columbia Basin Hospital in Ephrata for treatment of bites he received from Chicka as he was resisting.

Sanchez was booked into the Grant County Jail on a felony warrant for possession of cocaine, misdemeanor warrants for trespassing and driving with a suspended license, and new charges of felony eluding and resisting arrest.

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