A wanted man was taken into custody Monday evening after police tracked him into a Scott County cornfield.
State Police arrested 39-year-old Tyrone Washington Jr. and took him to the Scott County Jail around 4 p.m. Monday, August 5, 2013. Police said Washington was a suspect in the stabbing of 30-year-old Justina Marie Smith in a park in Northwood, Iowa earlier that day. Smith was stabbed multiple times and later died of her injuries.
Police said Washington had fled in Smith's car, and a state trooper spotted the car traveling east on Interstate 80 near the 276 mile marker at about 3:30 p.m. When the driver refused to stop, police pursued the vehicle.
Washington allegedly led police on a chase along Interstate 80 where speeds reached 90 to 100 miles per hour.
"A couple of us were slowing traffic down on the Interstate, so he couldn't get around all the traffic. So, that was his only exit -- to go off-roading, basically," said Sgt. Jose Varela with the Iowa State Patrol.
Washington reportedly drove off I-80 near mile marker 289 and drove into corn and bean fields along the interstate. Troopers used their patrol cars to hit, and eventually stop, the suspect car and Washington was arrested.
Police towed the vehicle from the cornfield and are keeping it for further investigation.
"This definitely was something that was a little more unusual. Unfortunately, this is a pretty serious situation in northwestern Iowa, so he'll have to face up to those charges later," said Varela.
Washington was held in lieu of $500,000 cash-only bond in the Scott County Jail.
