On Friday, September 23, 2022, at 6:35 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies assigned to the city of Cornelius got information that a wanted person had been seen near her home and then got into the passenger seat of a car. The passenger was 26-year-old Ana Juarez Santoyo of Cornelius and she was wanted for an incident in early September when she threatened to shoot an adult and four children. Deputies later identified the driver as 24-year-old Bianca Gonzalez Vargas who also lives in Cornelius.
Deputies found the car, a dark gray 2012 Acura TSX, and stopped it in the city of Hillsboro. During that traffic stop, both Gonzalez Vargas and Juarez Santoyo refused to get out of the car. Juarez Santoyo started to scream she had a gun. Deputies used foam rounds to break out one of the vehicle windows in an attempt to see what was going on inside the car. Gonzalez Vargas then drove away and deputies pursued the car.
She drove south on Highway 219 at about 75 miles per hour. Gonzalez Vargas drove east on SW Farmington Rd. and deputies successfully used spike strips to flatten two of her tires. She drove on both rims and refused to stop.
Near SW River Rd., deputies had a second set of spike strips ready but Gonzalez Vargas stopped in the middle of the road where she got out and surrendered. While she did, Juarez Santoyo climbed into the driver’s seat and took off.
A deputy then used a patrol car to force Juarez Santoyo off the road in the 22000 block of SW Farmington Rd. She refused to surrender and deputies again used foam rounds to break a car window. Juarez Santoyo still would not comply and partially opened the driver’s door. A police K9 was used and bit her, but she closed the door and retreated back into the car. Deputies then deployed pepper spray into the car and Juarez Santoyo finally got out and surrendered. She was taken to an area hospital to be treated for minor injuries from the K9 bites.
Deputies arrested Juarez Santoyo for felony attempt to elude, menacing, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, recklessly endangering another person, and criminal mischief in the first degree, as well as five counts of menacing for the prior incident. She will be lodged into jail when she is released from the hospital. Deputies arrested Gonzalez Vargas for felony attempt to elude and booked her into jail.
