Court records: Woman who struck Arizona trooper with vehicle pleads guilty to aggravated assault

Perry Vandell, Arizona Republic
·1 min read

A woman who was arrested in 2021 and accused of striking an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Monday.

According to court documents, Salina Avila, now 19, followed Sgt. Christopher Rios about 2:45 a.m. on March 6, 2021, as he pursued the driver of a silver Nissan Altima that had sped past him on Interstate 17.

The Altima exited I-17 at Cactus Road and sped eastbound but spun out after crashing into the center median. The driver abandoned the vehicle and continued running east when Rios parked his own vehicle and chased them on foot.

Documents say Rios pursued the Altima's driver on a sidewalk when Avila struck him from behind in a white Chevrolet Tahoe before pulling up to the suspect and telling them, "Get in, get in!"

Rios saw the suspect enter the Tahoe and shot nine times at the vehicle as it sped eastbound on Cactus Road before reporting the situation to dispatch.

Phoenix police officers were already investigating reports that a white Chevrolet Tahoe had been stolen shortly before the incident and eventually found it near 21st and Larkspur drives.

Phoenix police stopped the Tahoe and Avila exited the vehicle before collapsing with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital where she received treatment for several weeks before eventually being booked into jail.

The suspect Avila had picked up wasn't with her when officers arrived at the scene, according to court documents.

Avila is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8 according to the Maricopa County Superior Court's website and faces between seven and 21 years in prison if it's her first offense.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Records: Woman who struck Arizona trooper with vehicle pleads guilty