Liberal Man Arrested after Clark County Chase

(KWCH)  A series of events that began with a Friday afternoon traffic stop in Clark County involved a chase with two suspect vehicles and ended with the arrest of a Wichita woman and a man from Liberal.

At about 2 p.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office says its undersheriff made a traffic stop on a 2018 Jeep with Colorado tags on U-54, just east of Minneola.

“When the officer went to exit his vehicle, the Jeep left at a high-rate of speed eastbound on U-54, attempting to flee from the officer and the stop,” the sheriff’s office says.

The undersheriff chased the Jeep, but at this point, had a second vehicle to deal with.

“Another vehicle, a 2007 gold Cadillac, attempted to move over into the way of the pursuing patrol unit,” the sheriff’s office says. “The Jeep left U-54 and drove south into a field. The Cadillac then got in front of the pursuing vehicle and attempted to block him from pursuing the Jeep.”

The Clark County undersheriff manged to drive around the Cadillac and continued to chase the Jeep, soon located in a field about two-and-one-half miles south of U-54, near the Clark/Ford County line, the sheriff’s office says.

“Officers from Ford and Meade (counties) assisted in stopping the Cadillac,” the sheriff’s office says.

They took its driver, Yolanda Marie Ruiz, of Wichita into custody.

Assistance arrived from the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Dodge City Police Department as officers set up a perimeter and a police K-9 was able to track down the Jeep’s driver after the driver abandoned the vehicle in a field, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office says.

Officers arrested Romello Ricks, of Liberal. The sheriff’s office says Ricks was taken to the hospital in Minneola for treatment of injuries he suffered from the K-9 during a struggle as officers took him into custody.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office says the Clark County attorney will take the case to determine formal charges against Ruiz and Ricks.