A 17-year-old girl was arrested Sunday night, accused of crashing a stolen SUV into a house, causing both to go up in flames, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. A 5-year-old boy inside the Minnehaha-area house suffered minor injuries.
Deputies responded at 8:12 p.m. for a vehicle that crashed into a house at the northeast corner of Northeast 47th Street and 56th Avenue, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The vehicle, a stolen Ford Explorer, crashed into the kitchen of the two-story house and started a fire.
Neighbors had detained two teenage girls — a 14-year-old and 17-year-old — who ran from the SUV. The 17-year-old girl broke free and ran from deputies, hopping over fences and through a muddy construction site. Deputies found the girl walking in the area of Northeast 49th Street and 54th Avenue. Her boots were covered in mud, and she was out of breath, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Fire Department responded to extinguish the blaze and assess the structural integrity of the home, 4710 N.E. 56th Place. Fire crews determined the house sustained significant structural damage, according to a fire department news release.
The 5-year-old boy inside the house was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, the fire department said. He suffered several lacerations to his head, one of which required stitches, court records say.
The Red Cross was notified of the possible need for housing assistance for the residents, the fire department said.
Four engines, one truck, two battalion chiefs and a heavy rescue unit responded, for a total of 19 personnel.
A neighbor positively identified the 17-year-old girl as one of the two people who ran from the crashed SUV. A deputy said he could smell the odor of alcohol coming from her breath as he detained her, the affidavit states.
The 14-year-old girl told deputies she had just met the other teen; they were both drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, she said. The 17-year-old girl offered to drive her home. The younger teen said she was dozing off when she suddenly felt the vehicle speed up and crash into a house. She said the driver yelled, “Get out and run!” court records say.
The 17-year-old teen denied driving the SUV or being involved in the crash; she said she had been out jogging in the neighborhood, according to the affidavit.
She was taken to Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center for evaluation. At the hospital, she allegedly threatened to kill a deputy, and when arriving at juvenile detention, she allegedly said, “If I ever see you on the street without a badge, know that you’re fair game,” the affidavit reads.
The 17-year-old girl appeared Monday morning in Clark County Juvenile Court on allegations of driving under the influence, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and intimidating a public servant. Commissioner Jill Sasser found probable cause for the allegations.
During the hearing, the teen swore at and insulted the commissioner.
“They got no (expletive) evidence that I was in the (expletive) car,” she said.
The teen is being held for review of release and arraignment until Wednesday, when the court hoped to have a guardian present.
