Spokane Man Flees Adult Family Home, Steals Car, And Then?

Spokane County Deputies now know what likely prompted a man to steal a vehicle, and lead Officers on a slow-speed chase.

  The man drove up right behind a Patrol Car, then flashed lights

July 5th, around 3:10 AM, a Spokane County Deputy in a fully marked patrol unit was driving north on Freya Street, when a Pontiac Compact SUV pulled up close behind him and began flashing his lights.

The Officer, noticing the unusual behavior, as if the subject wanted him to pull to the side, light up his lights and let the driver pass. Then, the man slowed down heading north in the North Spokane Corridor (the new highway north of town) and then the driver began to wave his hand out the window. The Officer thought he was indicating him to pass him, but the man refused to stop.

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Finally, after leading the Officer and others who arrived as backup on a slow-speed chase (30 mph in a 60 zone), the suspect tried to elude them by driving through parking lots and turning around and doubling back.  He was finally boxed in after spike strips blew out his tires, and a pit maneuver finished him off.

Turns out the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Louis Mendez III, had apparently fled his adult family home in the Spokane Valley July 4th and had been reported as a missing person. That night, the suspect vehicle was reported stolen around 9:30 PM.

Adult family homes don't just house physically disabled older persons, but also younger adults who need supervision with medications and other monitoring because they suffer from mental conditions.

Mendez was booked into the Spokane County Jail on $2,500 bond. The investigation continues.