Chases net four arrests

Curry County Sheriff's deputies arrested four people after two separate chases Wednesday for stealing property from a home in the 3100 block of Prince Street south of Clovis, according to Sheriff Wesley Waller.

Waller said in a press release the four were spotted by the owner at 2:35 p.m. loading items from the home into two pickup trucks.

According to Waller:

• As a deputy approached the residence, one of the pickup trucks took off. The driver, later identified as Richard Starek, 44, of Clovis, ignored orders from the deputy to stop and fled south on U.S. 70. The deputy pursued and observed the second pickup leaving the residence and also head south on U.S. 70.

• Starek did a u-turn north on U.S. 70 at a high rate of speed, then turned east on Piersall, ultimately turning east on Brady. During the pursuit it was learned the pickup Starek was driving had recently been reported stolen to Clovis police.

• Starek drove into a vacant field south of the Curry County Fairgrounds. He made a u-turn and proceeded toward the deputy, striking the front of the deputy's vehicle, which had stopped.

• Starek then rammed an empty vehicle parked at a business on Woods Street and continued a short distance on Brady, where the pickup Starek was driving stopped. Starek ran from the pickup to a nearby home.

• Outside the home, Starek picked up a metal pot and threw it at the deputy. The deputy shot Starek with a taser and made the arrest.

• It was later discovered Starek was wanted by Texas for a parole violation.

• The second pickup was stopped by deputies a short distance from the scene of the crime. The occupants were identified as Nancy Mascarenas, 40, David Garcia, 38, and Eric Light, 33, all of Clovis. Numerous items missing from the home were found in each of the two pickups that fled the scene.

Starek is charged with felony burglary, conspiracy, aggravated fleeing, aggravated assault on a peace officer, possession of a stolen vehicle and being a fugitive from justice. Mascarenas, Garcia and Light were each charged with felony burglary and conspiracy.

All four are in the Curry County Adult Detention Center.