A Tacoma man faces felony charges after he allegedly attempted to flee police from Lewis County to Thurston County before a deputy ultimately stopped his vehicle with a grappler device.
Elijah L. Sambrano-Cornelious, 27, is charged with one count each of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and first-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Sambrano-Cornelious faces up to five years in prison for the eluding charge, which includes an adjustment to the potential standard sentence range.
According to the charging information, an additional 12 months and one day will be added to the range if the defendant is found guilty of endangering one or more persons other than himself or the pursuing officer.
Standard sentence ranges are calculated based on the defendant’s criminal history and the severity of the crime.
Sambrano-Cornelious made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Feb. 26.
During the hearing, Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Meyer requested a bail of $250,000 cash or bond, saying that releasing Sambrano-Cornelious would present a “clear risk” to public safety.
Judge Joely Yeager agreed with the request, saying Sambrano-Cornelious posed a community safety risk and a flight risk. She added he was likely to interfere with the administration of justice.
According to court documents, Sambrano-Cornelious has 11 prior warrants, along with multiple felony convictions and current pending charges.
The alleged incident began on Feb. 25 in Lewis County when a Lewis County sheriff’s deputy observed a suspect operating a vehicle with a “non-functioning license plate light” and expired temporary permit, according to the probable cause affidavit filed by prosecutors.
The deputy attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled, at one point reaching speeds of up to 100 mph during the chase, according to the affidavit.
After deputies tried unsuccessfully to spike the vehicle, Thurston County deputies joined in and eventually deployed a grappler device to disable the suspect’s wheel.
The vehicle reportedly landed on its roof.
According to the affidavit, Sambrano-Cornelious said he fled “because he knew his license was suspended.”
He was scheduled for an arraignment on March 5.
