GRAHAM COUNTY — A woman with her 10-year-old son in the car reportedly refused to comply with a traffic stop and led law enforcement on a multi-community chase at speeds of upward of 90 miles an hour.
Graham County Sheriff’s deputies made the stop at 5:20 p.m. Sunday, July 10, at Patterson Mesa Road and U.S. Highway 70, when the woman, identified as Denise Palma, 32, of Safford, reportedly decided to drive away. Deputies pursued until she reached Layton Road, between Cluff Ranch Road and Central Cemetery Road, when deputies broke off the chase.
Palma was later spotted at Safford High School, where the 10-year-old boy got out of the vehicle. Law enforcement was able to get the boy to safety and another chase started, involving deputies and police officers from Safford, Thatcher, Pima and Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Despite the use of spike strips, Palma reportedly refused to stop, driving into oncoming traffic and causing a Sheriff’s vehicle to crash into the bleachers at Thatcher High School’s tennis courts due to the amount of dust her vehicle kicked up.
The chase came to end when Palma is reported to have struck several large landscaping poles on the shoulder at San Jose Road and U.S. Highway 70. Deputies reported a search of her vehicle turned up fentanyl pills and drug paraphernalia.
After being medically cleared, Palma was booked into Graham County Jail on charges of unlawful flight, aggravated assault, endangerment, aggravated DUI, reckless driving, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal damage.
