A Washington state woman accused of steering her car onto a sidewalk and charging after a child during a terrifying outburst was back out of jail less than a day after her arrest.
Deputies say Wendy A. Clemente, 56, sent a silver sedan off the roadway Monday evening and gunned down a sidewalk after a boy on a dirt bike, who desperately tried to get away.
Video recorded by witnesses appears to show the car jerking toward the child before roaring down the sidewalk with the horn blaring.
The boy repeatedly looked over his shoulder while trying to escape as people nearby screamed and scattered.
At one point, the sedan closes the gap enough for someone filming to gasp, “This lady’s crazy,” as the pursuit barrels forward.
Authorities said the child was not hit and escaped unharmed. Investigators later identified Clemente as the driver and began searching for her.
About an hour after the confrontation, deputies were dispatched to another disturbance roughly a mile away when a homeowner spotted a woman roaming around his property through security camera footage.
According to investigators, the woman was seen wandering near the house and checking doors before deputies arrived.
🎇Honor America’s 250th Anniversary!!!🎇 Get your 2026 Heritage Foundation commemorative membership card ➡️➡️➡️ ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP NOW!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
“She was smashing the front door, and she stumbled off because she looked so drunk. She fell off my porch and face-planted,” homeowner Lloyd Gaines commented to the Daily Mail.
Gaines also alleged that she actually did break into his residence, but didn’t steal anything, though she rifled through his wife’s jewelry and “tossed stuff around” in the house.
Clemente was found standing in the driveway and taken into custody. Authorities said her explanation for being there made little sense.
She allegedly claimed she stopped at the home so her dog could socialize with other dogs, despite not knowing the residents.
Investigators also noted that Clemente insisted she could not remember the earlier confrontation involving the child.
Investigators said Clemente appeared impaired during the encounter and gave conflicting answers when deputies questioned her about alcohol use, initially insisting she had not been drinking before eventually admitting she had consumed alcohol.
When deputies attempted to load her into a patrol car, authorities said she became combative.
Investigators say she resisted arrest and tried kicking a deputy during the struggle.
Deputies later secured a court-approved blood draw while continuing to investigate whether Clemente had been driving under the influence.
Prosecutors charged her with attempted first-degree assault, DUI and first-degree criminal trespass before she was transferred to the Spokane County Jail.
Court records show she was released the following day on her own recognizance without posting bond, and pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her.
The case is one of several recent incidents in which authorities say vehicles were used aggressively during heated confrontations.
In Missouri, police say a pizza delivery spiraled into violence when a driver allegedly used his vehicle to hit a customer after becoming enraged over a tip.
Zachary Nicholus Walton, 36, was arrested in Fulton on April 29 on multiple felony charges, including first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
Officers responded to the scene shortly after 7:20 p.m. following reports that a man had been struck by a vehicle during an argument.
Witnesses told investigators the confrontation erupted after Walton grew angry over not receiving a tip during a delivery.
According to police, surveillance footage shows Walton shouting profanities at the victim and another witness before storming back toward his car.
The victim was walking through the driveway when Walton allegedly punched the accelerator and gunned it straight at him.
Investigators said the victim suffered injuries to his hand and complained of additional pain after the collision.
Walton allegedly sped away without contacting police to report the incident.
Police eventually tracked Walton down at a Domino’s restaurant, where authorities said he acknowledged steering the vehicle at the victim but insisted he was only trying to scare him.
Court records show Walton has prior convictions involving domestic assault and false imprisonment.
He is currently being held without bond in the Callaway County Jail.
In North Carolina, another case involving a vehicle allegedly being used as a weapon unfolded during a street takeover investigation.
Tanaezah Michelle Austin, 25, is accused of hitting a police officer with her car while authorities attempted to shut down dangerous driving activity in a parking lot.
Investigators said officers responded around 3:25 a.m. after receiving reports of cars performing stunts and blocking traffic.
One officer approached a vehicle that appeared ready to leave the scene.
According to the arrest affidavit, the driver initially stopped before suddenly surging forward as the officer moved alongside the vehicle.
Authorities said the officer was thrown onto the hood before tumbling back onto the pavement.
Investigators said he was clearly identifiable in uniform and had been ordering the driver to stop.
The officer was hospitalized with minor injuries.
Court records show Austin was arrested March 2 and released later that day after posting a $3,000 secured bond.
Weeks later, she was arrested again after authorities accused her of driving over her ex-boyfriend’s foot during another altercation.
She now faces additional charges, including misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence.
Officials have not yet set bond on the latest charges.
