York woman arrested following pursuit in stolen vehicle, state patrol says

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A York woman was arrested on Monday following a pursuit in a stolen vehicle in Sarpy County.

Around 3:45 p.m., a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol saw a Buick sedan that had been reported stolen as it was traveling east on Interstate 80 near Gretna.

The trooper pulled the vehicle over near the Gretna exit, but the driver refused to follow commands and accelerated, prompting a chase.

Authorities said the driver reached speeds above 100 mph and drove on the shoulder at times before exiting at the Highway 370 interchange.

According to the state patrol, the driver ran red lights and weaved in and out of traffic numerous times.

Omaha Police Department’s Able-1 assisted with the chase from the air.

The suspect continued on surface streets for several minutes, at times driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic.

Authorities said the driver got back onto I-80 and exited at the 144th Street exit.

Troopers slowed the vehicle with stop sticks on 144th Street before the suspect turned into a neighborhood near 144th and Giles streets.

The state patrol said the suspect drove through a park with kids present, and then drove through multiple backyard fences.

Troopers found the vehicle abandoned in the middle of the street near 154th Avenue and Chalco Pointe Drive.

Additional troopers, officers, deputies and K9 units helped search the area for the suspect. A short time later, Able-1 found the suspect and troopers took her into custody.

The driver, 28-year-old Raquel Cervantes, was arrested on suspicion of theft, flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, criminal mischief and numerous traffic violations.

She was lodged in the Sarpy County Jail.