LEWISTON, ID – A Clarkston woman is facing a felony charge of attempted first-degree murder after authorities say she drove with a man on the hood of her vehicle for nearly a mile in Lewiston.
According to court documents, Rita G. Brown, 41, of Clarkston, was arrested Thursday following an incident that began in the parking lot of the Nez Perce County Jail. Prosecutors allege Brown drove a 2012 Chevrolet Captiva while a man was on the hood of the vehicle.
According to a Lewiston Police Department report, the man had previously contacted detectives and offered information about Brown, who reportedly had an active felony warrant in relation to drug charges. On Thursday afternoon, the man contacted a detective and said he was with Brown outside the Nez Perce County Jail.
Investigators say surveillance footage shows the pair inside the Captiva in the jail parking lot. The footage reportedly shows the man exit the vehicle and walk around while he appears to take a phone call. He can then be seen opening the driver’s door and leaning into the vehicle before the car suddenly moves forward. According to the affidavit, the man briefly hung from the open door and then moved toward the front of the vehicle as it continued through the parking lot. Investigators say video shows the vehicle lurching forward while the man remained in front of it and eventually ended up on the hood.
Authorities say the vehicle left the parking lot and and traveled onto U.S. Highway 128. A Nez Perce County sheriff’s deputy observed the vehicle traveling westbound on the highway with the man on the hood and conducted a traffic stop. The vehicle stopped at the intersection of 18th Street North and 6th Avenue North. The man was found on the ground near the vehicle after it stopped.
According to the affidavit, Brown told officers she had been attempting to flee because the man had punched her in the face. Investigators reported they did not observe visible facial injuries but did note marks on her chest and chin. Brown also told police the man was attempting to have her arrested on an outstanding warrant.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the jail parking lot and concluded Brown continued driving despite opportunities to stop while the man was on or near the vehicle. Investigators estimated the vehicle traveled roughly three-quarters of a mile from the jail parking lot before the traffic stop.
Brown was taken into custody and booked into the Nez Perce County Jail on a charge of attempted first-degree murder. She is expected to make her initial court appearance on Friday afternoon.
