A wanted Salem woman escaped the backseat of a police cruiser, stole the car and prompted a short pursuit Tuesday afternoon, a police spokesman said.
Rebecca J. Payne, 25, is facing several charges in the incident. Lt. Dave Okada, a Salem police spokesman, said officers initially arrested her on a parole violation and that she worked her way out of the cruiser’s backseat while officers were addressing other people at the scene of her arrest.
Payne complained of severe pain “due to the physical nature of her body” during her arrest, Okada said in a news release. Officers, as a result, “modified the application of the handcuffs” and opened the cruiser’s windows.
Okada said police didn’t loosen the handcuffs but declined to say how officers modified their fit because he didn’t want to give other people an idea of how to manipulate handcuffs.
Payne was able to get out of the cruiser with her handcuffs still on, Okada said. Then she took the wheel and drove away — all while still wearing the cuffs.
Officers pursued her for a bit, Okada said, but they stopped chasing her because she was driving erratically — instead opting to follow at a safe distance.
She eventually crashed less than a mile away, Okada said. A police dog found her hiding nearby, and she was arrested without additional incident.
No one was injured. Officers initially arrested Payne in the 1400 block of Hawthorne Avenue Northeast around 3:15 p.m. She crashed at Sunnyview Road and Childs Avenue, Okada said.
He said officers were nearby while Payne escaped the backseat of the cruiser. They were distracted, however, while dealing with other people.
Okada said officers don’t leave people who have been arrested alone in police cruisers for extended periods of time.
Payne faces unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempting to elude an officer, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief and escape charges, police said. She is being booked into the Marion County jail.
Okada said officers are still investigating the incident and that Payne may face further charges.
Her criminal record includes unauthorized use of a vehicle, hindering prosecution, identity theft, possession of a controlled substance and possession of methamphetamine convictions, court records show.
No one else was arrested in the incident.
— Jim Ryan
jryan@oregonian.com
503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
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