Geiger escapee apparently evades police in stolen car

A man who walked away from a jail work crew earlier this month apparently was nearly caught by police on Sunday when he led police on a brief chase in a stolen Subaru WRX and then fled on foot.

On Sunday, a Spokane Police officer responded to a report of suspicious activity at an apartment complex at 125 S. Havana St., according to court documents.

The officer saw the vehicle pull into a nearby Walmart at a high rate of speed and attempted to pull it over, according to court documents.

The driver, believed to be Jonnathan M. Stayton, 23, stopped but then began slowly driving away as the officer was approaching, according to court records.

A female passenger, Melissa M. Sinclair, 28, Stayton’s girlfriend, told police he began swearing and said, “I’m getting pulled over. I’m getting pulled over.”

Stayton then allegedly sped off, and the officer began chasing the vehicle at which time it ran a red light and drove south on South Custer Road, according to court records.

The officer lost sight of the vehicle, but found it shortly after with Sinclair standing near it. Sinclair was handcuffed and told the officer that Stayton had run away on foot after stopping the vehicle.

The officer found a loaded handgun magazine in the car.

Stayton had been a resident at the Geiger Corrections Center for violating a no-contact order when during a work crew outing on March 5, he walked away and responding deputies were unable to find him, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.