Mobile, AL - Alabama State Trooper's Car Stolen By Handcuffed Woman With Deportation Order - Trooper Chased Her In Her Vehicle
(MOBILE, Ala.) April 23 -- An Alabama State Trooper temporarily lost
custody of his patrol car Wednesday when a woman he had pulled over in a traffic
stop jumped into his car and took off. He, in turn, jumped into her car in hot
pursuit.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Safety, State Trooper George Roe
was making a routine traffic stop on the northbound lane of Interstate 65 around
2:30 P.M. Inside the stopped vehicle he found a hispanic female named Juana
Vargas Rico from Kennasaw, Georgia.
The trooper called in for a routine check of her registration, her licence and
the vehicle's registration. It was during that check a report came back that a
deportation order had been issued for the woman by the Immigration Customs
Enforcement agency.
At that point, Trooper Roe placed Rico under arrest and put her in the back of
his trooper patrol vehicle, then called for a wrecker to tow her vehicle. When
the wrecker arrived, Trooper Roe got out of his vehicle to give instructions to
the tow truck driver. It was at that time Rico was somehow able to get into
the drivers seat of the trooper vehicle and fled, heading northbound on the
interstate. The state trooper then got into the suspect's vehicle and gave
chase.
The Department of Public Safety says the initial stop happened around 2:30 P.M.,
and the suspect was taken into custody around 4 o'clock in the afternoon on I-65
in Escambia County, Alabama. She was taken taken to the Escambia County, Alabama
Jail.
Troopers say Rico will be charged with Theft of Property - 1st Degree, in
addition to the charges previously filed by federal immigration authorities.
Authorities say the incident remains under investigation and further charges
could be pending against the woman.