IONIA, Mich. — A man wanted for armed robbery returned to West Michigan after leaving the country, then led law enforcement officers on a multi-county pursuit.
On Monday investigators with the Central Michigan Enforcement Team received a tip that Enrique Vazquez was back in Ionia to visit his mother. Vazquez has an outstanding warrant for armed robbery in Kent County, but had fled to Texas and Mexico to evade arrest, according to the Ionia County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's deputies were in place to try to intercept the 22-year-old on December 30, attempting a traffic stop on a vehicle believed to be his near East Lincoln Avenue and Cyrus Street.
However the SUV took off, leading deputies on a chase that wound from Ionia to Greenville and finally ended just southeast of Rockford.
Along with deputies from Ionia County other agencies joined in the pursuit, including the Montcalm County Sheriff's Office, Kent County Sheriff's Office, the Greenville Department of Public Safety, and Michigan State Police.
Multiple attempts to pop the vehicle's tires were unsuccessful until deputies finally got a hit on M-57 near Northland Drive.
The SUV stopped just west of the intersection, with several people inside making a run for it. However all five people who had been riding in the vehicle were caught.
Three of the people arrested were released without charges.
Vazquez, who investigators say was a passenger, is being held on the outstanding armed robbery warrant and on a charge of illegally carrying a concealed weapon.
The driver, a 21-year-old relative of Vazquez, faces a charge of fleeing and eluding police along with a violation of his parole. He told detectives he knew Vazquez had an outstanding warrant. The 21-year-old feared being caught with Vasquez because the driver was out on parole.
Investigators say all 5 people in the vehicle are related.
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