Vito Renee Oliva probably would have been cited for a minor traffic violation when police attempted to pull him over early Saturday morning. But he tried to run from cops -- choking a police dog in the process -- and is now charged with multiple felony.
According to court documents obtained by New Times, Olivas, a 25-year-old parolee, was driving on University Drive in Mesa about 1:20 a.m. Saturday when he cut across three lanes of traffic to make a U-turn. Cops witnessed the risky maneuver and attempted to pull Oliva over.
Oliva wasn't interested in stopping -- he tried to evade police by running red lights at speeds of up to 85 mph on Mesa surface streets.
Authorities called in a police chopper to follow Olivas as he recklessly jumped on the U.S. 60, sped through Mesa, through Tempe, and into a Phoenix neighborhood near 32nd Street and Broadway Road.
Once in the neighborhood, Oliva attempted to ditch his vehicle and continue his escape on foot by running into the backyard of a nearby home. However, the ghetto bird was watching his every move, and alerted ground units to his location.
Police confronted Oliva in the backyard and told him to put his hands up so they could take him into custody.
Oliva refused to surrender, so cops sicked a police dog on him to change his mind.
The dog bit Oliva on his left arm, at which point he grabbed the dog's collar and attempted to choke him out.
When the dog's handler attempted to stop him, Oliva kicked the cop in the balls and continued to choke the dog.
Oliva continued to choke the dog until officers were forced to use "hard hand strikes" to get him to surrender.
Oliva then released the dog and was finally taken into custody.
The dog got a little banged up -- Oliva choked it so hard that blood vessels in its eyes burst.
When police searched the vehicle Oliva was driving they found a bong filled with "Spice," a synthetic form of marijuana.
Oliva was taken to a hospital, treated, and released. He's since been
hit with one count each of resisting arrest, aggravated assault of a
police officer, unlawful flight from law enforcement, attempt to kill or
harm a service animal, aggressive driving, and possession of drug
paraphernalia.
