Police cruiser stolen, crashed by arrested woman into church, $42,000 damage 
Monday, August 23, 1999 

By BOBBY HORECKA
Staff Writer

A suspected joyride in an Abilene police cruiser
early Saturday could prove very costly to a 33-year-old 
Abilene woman.

Police attempted to arrest Dora Hairapetian
Saturday on a felony violation of probation warrant
following a forgery conviction.

According to police officials, she was cuffed in the
usual manner, bracelets behind the back, and taken
to the patrol car. 

But this was no routine arrest.

Hairapetian somehow slipped her handcuffs around
front, hopped in the driver's seat and took off  in 
the police car.

According to a police report, she led officers on a
high speed chase through the downtown area and
eventually into the front of  Plum Street United
Methodist Church at the corner of  North 6th and
Plum.

She was taken to Hendrick Medical Center for
treatment of minor injuries and later placed in
custody at Taylor County Jail, the report said.

In addition to the warrant, she was also booked on
suspicion of several charges, including felony escape,
felony theft, failing to identify, driving while license
suspended, resisting arrest and two counts of
evading arrest.

The $22,000 police car was totaled in the crash, and
the church sustained more than $20,000 in structure
damages.

Church members patched the large hole in the north-
side wall with a sheet of plywood sometime before
Sunday afternoon, but little could be done for a brick
column near the front door. It was severely cracked
near the base and bowing under the weight of the
roof.

Church officials could not be contacted as of press
time to see how the wreck affected Sunday services.

Hairapetian was not awarded bond on her probation
violation, and none of the fines on the other charges
were assessed as of Sunday evening. She remains in
custody at the county jail.

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Copyright 1999, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps
Publications

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