A Pottsville man has been identified and charged as the suspect in a pursuit in Frackville Tuesday morning.According to court records, on Tuesday, June 9th, 2020, just before 11:00am, Frackville Police Officer Anthony Kankowski and Chief Rick Bell were dispatched to the Econo Lodge on South Middle Street, Frackville for a domestic disturbance that involved a male beating up on a female.
Police were advised that the male involved was loading items from a room at the motel into a U-Haul truck, one of the items being a rifle.
As the officers responded, they spotted a U-Haul pulling out of the Rite Aid parking lot, located across South Lehigh Avenue from the motel.
The driver of the U-Haul turned left and drove at a high rate of speed on South Lehigh Avenue, pulling along side another vehicle as he sped away.
As the officers began to follow, , the U-Haul began to accelerate and turned left onto Arch Street.
At this point, the officers activated their emergency lights and the driver of the U-Haul continued to accelerate on Arch Street disregarding any stop sights at South Balliet Street, South Nice Street, South Center Street, South 2nd Street, South 3rd Street. Officers were about 3 blocks behind the U-Haul when they lost sight of the truck as it turned onto Walnick Drive.
As officers arrived at Walnick Drive and crossed into Butler Township, citizens advised them that the U-Haul had driven around a concrete barrier that closed road due to a washed out bridge, and heard a loud crash.
Chief Bell and Officer Kankowski arrived at the bottom of the hill where the bridge had washed out and found the U-Haul about 25 feet down in the Little Mahanoy Creek.
Chief Bell approached the U-Haul and found the driver's side door open and nobody inside.
A search was conducted and as State Police responded to the area, the driver emerged from a backyard on Westwood Lane in Butler Township that fit the description of the driver observed earlier.
The subject, identified as Vincent Davalos, 25, of Pottsville, was taken into custody where he was found with controlled substances on the ground next to him as well as in his pockets.
A rifle was also recovered from the U-Haul.
Davalos was also found to have a suspended driver's license and was also wanted by the Pennsylvania State Parole.
Davalos was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Christina Hale in Frackville on charges of fleeing and eluding police, driving without a license, driving with a suspended license, and numerous traffic violations.
Hale set bail at $50,000 straight cash bail and Davalos was locked up in Schuylkill County.
Additional charges are pending.
