Man pleads guilty after high-speed chase

The 36-year-old man arrested for leading a Washington State Patrol trooper on a high-speed car chase near Colfax admitted to the crime.

Angel Cartagena pleaded guilty to felony attempted eluding Friday morning in Whitman County Superior Court. Court Commissioner Doug Robinson sentenced him to four months in prison, which he said was the middle of the standard range.

Court documents show a trooper began the pursuit Nov. 20 when he clocked Cartagena driving over 90 mph in a Toyota Prius on Washington State Route 26 west of Colfax. The officer flashed his emergency lights, but the suspected vehicle failed to yield and began accelerating instead.

While the trooper tried catching up to the Prius, court documents say he observed Cartagena overtaking vehicles in no-passing zones at dangerous speeds.

The Prius entered Colfax on U.S. Highway 195 and ran a stop sign while passing several vehicles. Court documents indicate the car chase ended when the vehicle broke down while trying to climb Buck Canyon north of town.

The trooper noted in the probable cause affidavit Cartagena appeared jittery, and he believed Cartagena was under the influence of meth. Cartagena told law enforcement his female passenger was hurt and was having a drug overdose. He denied using any drugs but admitted the woman had, and was trying to take her to the hospital despite driving in the wrong direction.

While providing aid to the passenger, the trooper noted in the court documents he saw multiple drug pipes and substances in plain view in the vehicle. Law enforcement found meth, fentanyl, a loaded gun and a tennis ball with dark powder stuffed inside upon receiving a search warrant for the car.

The Spokane Regional Bomb Squad was called, which confirmed the tennis ball was filled with gunpowder and was an explosive device, according to court documents.

Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy dropped the charge for possessing an explosive device in court, adding there was no evidence Cartagena was going to use it to damage property.

Cartagena said the gun was the passenger’s, but Tracy said she hasn’t admitted to possessing the firearm.

He said Cartagena has a criminal history including convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle from 2023 and theft from 2019, both in Pierce County. He also has pending charges of possessing a stolen vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm in Snohomish County.

After Cartagena finishes his sentence, he will be expedited to Snohomish County to be tried for the alleged crimes.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.