PORT ANGELES — A 19-minute, high-speed chase that spanned Jefferson and Clallam counties ended with a Wednesday court date for the driver and the return of Benny the dog.
Travis C. Collins, 32, of Auburn will face charges of eluding a police vehicle and felony possession of stolen property in a court appearance at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Clallam County Superior Court.
The chase began at 5:35 p.m. Sunday and ended with his arrest at 5:54 p.m. that same day.
He remained in the Clallam County jail late Monday afternoon on $20,000 bond after he was incarcerated without bond Sunday night for investigation of felony possession of stolen property.
Also taken into custody was Angela C. Marcotte, 39, of Seattle, who was in the car when police arrested Collins, who told authorities Marcotte was his fiance.
Marcotte was released Monday after the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against her, jail Sgt. Luke Brown said late Monday afternoon.
Collins also was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant for car prowl and third-degree theft, and on a felony warrant for escaping community custody on a charge of possession of stolen property, said Trooper Russ Winger, State Patrol spokesman.
“He’s into stealing things,” Winger said.
Collins was not booked on the misdemeanor warrant, Brown said, adding the originating county for the warrant declined to pursue it.
Brown said no bail was set on Collins’ community custody warrant, on which the state Department of Corrections could hold an administrative hearing if the agency wanted to pursue the matter.
Collins was driving a stolen 1997 Honda Civic when the State Patrol stopped him in Jefferson County near the Clallam County line for a suspected equipment violation Sunday evening, Winger said.
Winger said that Collins sped away, starting a 20-mile chase on U.S. Highway 101 that reached speeds of 100 mph.
The chase involved state troopers, Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies, Lower Elwha Klallam tribal police and Port Angeles and Sequim police.
The car successfully sped around two spike strips on Highway 101 near Simdars Road and a third near Sieberts Creek Road, Winger said.
The Honda left the highway at South Bagley Creek and turned onto James Page Road where it became mired in mud, he said.
Collins and Marcotte were arrested without incident.
“I am sorry, I am in trouble,” Collins told Trooper Casey Corey, according to Corey’s narrative of the incident, which was contained in court records.
The 1997 Honda, which had been reported stolen by the Auburn Police Department, had a stolen license plate belonging to another vehicle, a 1991 Honda, Winger said.
Stolen credit cards and fuel cards were inside the vehicle.
Also in the car was a small dog named Benny, Winger said.
“They were definitely up to no good, that’s for sure,” he said.
Collins said the dog was his “and it was his child,” according to Corey’s report.
Benny’s owners, from Bremerton, picked him up Sunday evening, Winger said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
