WAYNE – The Wayne Police Department released more information regarding Wednesday’s late afternoon school lockdown.
According to a release posted on the Wayne Police Department Facebook page at 11:14 a.m., the City of Wayne 911 Center received a report of a reckless driver at around 3:10 p.m. Wednesday.
A white SUV was driving at a high rate of speed that had forced several vehicles off highway 35 between Wakefield and Wayne. A police officer then encountered the vehicle a short time later heading westbound on Hwy 35 at a high rate of speed.
Following a short pursuit through a residential area in Wayne, the driver 26-year old Juan Pena Tamayo of Wakefield, stopped and ran from the vehicle.
Due to the close proximity to the schools and it being nearly dismissal time, the Wayne Police Department notified school officials requesting a lockout and to not release students from the buildings as a precautionary measure.
Within a few minutes, additional officers located the male suspect at a residence near the 400 block of West 10th Street. Pena Tamayo was then taken into custody without incident as the school lockout was then lifted around 3:30 p.m.
Charges for Juan Pena Tamayo include suspicion of Driving Under the Influence, Willful Reckless Driving, Flight to Avoid Arrest, Driving During Suspension/Revocation and other numerous traffic infractions.
The Wakefield-native was jailed and is awaiting formal charges from the Wayne County Attorney’s Office in Wayne County Court.