On Sunday, March 30, at approximately 12:09 a.m., Barton County Communications received a 911 emergency call from two citizens inside their vehicle who were advising they were being chased by a male and female in a lifted Red Chevy Silverado with black rims. The reporting parties advised that the male occupant in the Silverado was armed and brandishing a handgun.
Barton County Communications advised both the Great Bend Police Department and the Barton County Sheriff's Office of the ongoing incident and both departments began to search for the vehicles. During the call, the male subject in the Silverado fired the handgun, which was heard by the Communications Dispatcher and was recorded on the dispatch tapes. The reporting parties advised they lost sight of the vehicle.
While officers and deputies continued to search for the suspect vehicle, a deputy with the Barton County Sheriff's office located the vehicle in the McDonald's drive through. Upon the arrival of officers from both agencies, a high-risk traffic stop was conducted. At that time, both the male driver and female passenger were removed from the vehicle, and officers on scene were notified of a child in the vehicle. After securing both adults from the vehicle, the driver’s handgun was located and seized.
Jose Espino-Cruz, age 19, was arrested for attempted murder, aggravated child endangerment, felony criminal damage and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Espino-Cruz was transported to the Barton County Jail where he was held in lieu of a $500,000 bond.
Anyone with information on this case or any other case is encouraged to contact the Great Bend Police Department at 620-793-4120 or Barton County Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300 or online at p3tips.com.