Warren woman arrested after leading police on high-speed chase, allegedly leaving puppy in dumpster
(CBS DETROIT) - Selena Martin, 25, was arrested last week for leading Farmington Hills Police on a high-speed chase after she failed to stop for a routine traffic stop, according to Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King.
King said Martin, along with a 14-year-old passenger, fled from police at the corner of 10 Mile and Haggerty roads.
Police said they terminated the pursuit after Martin began to drive recklessly nearly hitting oncoming traffic near the M-5 on ramp.
Martin was clocked at speeds reaching up to 120 miles per hour.
"She put everyone in danger. She continued for almost 8 miles at speeds of over 120 miles per hour," King said.
Dashcam video showed Martin's abandoned vehicle near the intersection of 12 Mile Road and Orchard Lake, where she crashed into a minivan and fled on foot.
When Martin and the 14-year-old fled on foot, a witness said she threw something in a nearby dumpster, according to police. When asked what she threw in the dumpster, Martin told an officer it was a puppy.
"Our initial reaction was yeah right, we were figuring it was a gun or narcotics or something," King said.
King said an officer checked several dumpsters and found a puppy inside one.
"She was telling the truth. She threw a puppy in the dumpster because it was slowing down her escape," King said.
Police in Farmington Hills are also hoping to slow down the number of suspects leading them on high-speed chases. King said the number of incidents is climbing quickly.
"Last year, we had 58 pursuits for the year, 2023 year to date, 64," he said.
Chief King believes the reason for the increase in high-speed chases has to do with light penalties people like Martin face when doing so, but he is hopeful she isn't let off so easy this time around.
In 2019 and 2020, Martin was charged with cocaine possession and fleeing police, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.
"We're looking for some kind of higher penalty for when people use their vehicles in this case endangering the community by fleeing from police," King said.
King is hoping lawmakers step in and change the law to implement a mandatory minimum type of penalty, similar to felony firearms charges.
The puppy did not suffer any injuries and was put up for adoption at the local animal shelter.