Five people were arrested Tuesday afternoon following an alleged drive-by shooting and pursuit near the Minnehaha area that ended when the suspect vehicle crashed into a pole, causing a major power outage.
Clark County sheriff’s deputies were called at 2:23 p.m. to the Pebble Creek Garden Apartments, 5313 N.E. 66th Ave., for a report of a suspicious vehicle occupied by several people wearing masks and armed with “sawed off” firearms, an agency news release states.
Another 911 caller reported hearing gunshots in the area around the same time, according to the news release.
No injuries were reported.
A deputy, who was already in the area on an unrelated call, saw the suspect vehicle, a gray Jeep Cherokee, speeding away, according to the news release and court records.
Deputies attempted to stop the Jeep, and a short pursuit ensued, before it crashed into a utility pole near Northeast 66th Avenue and Northeast 42nd Street, the news release says. The crash reportedly caused a major power outage in the area.
Deputies say five people ran from the vehicle, which had been reported stolen out of Ridgefield. Two firearms — a sawed-off shotgun or rifle and a revolver — were also recovered, according to court records.
Additional units from the sheriff’s office, Vancouver Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and Washington Fish and Wildlife arrived to assist.
All five suspects — three men and two juveniles — were captured in the area within a few minutes. They are identified as Ilijah Andrews, 19; Clyde Hunt, 18; and Dale Grendahl, 18. The sheriff’s office did not identify the juveniles.
Some members of the group made first appearances Wednesday morning in Clark County Superior Court and juvenile court.
Andrews, of Portland, appeared on suspicion of drive-by shooting, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle; Hunt, no address provided, appeared on suspicion of drive-by shooting and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm; and Grendahl, of Vancouver, appeared on suspicion of drive-by shooting and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Bail for Andrews and Hunt was set at $25,000. Grendahl’s case was exonerated later in the day, citing the need for further investigation, court records show.
The investigation is ongoing; however, law enforcement say they believe the incident was in retaliation for an assault that occurred the previous night involving the suspects.
