A Salesville man was arrested early Saturday morning after leading Baxter County Sheriff’s deputies on a high speed chase on a racing-type motorcycle.
According to Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery, at approximately 2:29 in the morning, a deputy was notified the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Justice Jacob Vasquez, was preparing to leave a residence along Arkansas Highway 5 South on a motorcycle with a suspended drivers license. The motorcycle was reported to be registered to another person who did not have a motorcycle endorsement on his license.
The deputy stated he observed Vasquez on the motorcycle in question pulling onto the roadway and heading southbound on Hwy. 5. He began to follow Vasquez as he turned onto Rossi Road and then to the U.S. Highway 62/412 Bypass, proceeding west. The deputy ran the license plate and confirmed the registered owner did not possess a motorcycle endorsement.
Vasquez continued to travel westbound on the bypass to U.S. Highway 62 B, then drove back into town going east on Hwy. 62 B. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop but Vasquez accelerated away at a high speed making many turns throughout town, including on 9th Street, Bryant Street, Cynthia Square, Meadowbrook Street and 16th Street before making it back to the U.S. Hwy. 62/412 bypass and heading east towards Lake Norfork.
With deputies in pursuit, Vasquez turned left on Cranfield Road, wrecked the motorcycle and fled on foot. After the foot pursuit, the deputy was able to tackle Vasquez and take him into custody at approximately 2:55 in the morning.
Vasquez was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center on a felony charge of fleeing by vehicle and misdemeanor charges of fleeing on foot, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, violation of restricted driver license, resisting arrest, driving while license suspended and violation of probation. He is currently being held on $15,000 bond. Vasquez is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court on December 4.
The deputy required a visit to Baxter Health for minor injuries sustained during the foot chase.
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