WILKES-BARRE — Two men on an unregistered scooter initiated a pursuit with Wilkes-Barre City police on Monday.
Steven Garcia-Guerrero, 28, of South Hanover Street, Nanticoke, and Yordanis Monegro Martinez, 30, of Wilkes-Barre Street, Hanover Township, were charged in the pursuit in the Heights section, court records say.
According to the criminal complaints:
Officers on patrol on Park Avenue spotted two men on a motorized scooter that was unregistered. The operator of the scooter, identified as Garcia-Guerrero, failed to stop and initiated a pursuit turning onto South Hancock Street, York Lane and Howard Street.
The scooter had difficulty traveling uphill on York Lane due to Martinez being a passenger.
Garcia-Guerrero turned onto Howard Street, Larch Lane, back onto York Lane, South Hancock Street and abandoned the scooter at Lehigh Street and Park Avenue, the complaints say.
Garcia-Guerrero allegedly ran away and jumped over fences behind homes along Park Avenue until he was captured during a foot chase in the area of 170 Park Ave.
Martinez was found hiding behind a deli, the complaints say.
Police in the complaint allege Garcia-Guerrero had an odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from him.
Garcia-Guerrero told police, the complaint says, he sped away because Martinez is an unregistered immigrant and the scooter was not registered.
Police allege they found an open container of beer on the scooter.
Garcia-Guerrero was arraigned by District Judge David Barilla of Forty Fort on charges of flight to avoid apprehension, fleeing or attempting to elude police, evading arrest, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence and multiple traffic violations. He was released on $3,000 unsecured bail.
Martinez was charged with evading arrest and disorderly conduct. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $2,000 bail.
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