Two arrested following pursuit on I-40

A 20-minute chase by state police Wednesday ended with the arrest of two Oklahoma residents connected to a burglary in Arizona, police said.

Noel Webb, 31 and Denise Cervantes 28, were arrested by state police officers following a pursuit on I-40 and U.S. Highway 54, said Lt. Lance Bateman.

Bateman said at one point Webb was driving so dangerously, police broke off the pursuit only to catch the pair found hiding in a barn a few minutes later.

Bateman said officers received a report at 9:06 a.m., of a 2003 Cadillac eastbound in the westbound lane on I-40 about 17 miles west of Tucumcari. He said officers located the vehicle at 9:12 and the pursuit began.

Bateman said the car driven by Webb entered the opposing lane of traffic several times during the chase, then left the interstate and began traveling north on Quay Road AD. He said the pursuit intersected U.S. Highway 54 and due to the erratic and dangerous actions of the driver, who was driving head-on into oncoming traffic, the pursuit was terminated at 9:34 a.m., and officers lost site of the vehicle.

Bateman said officers later witnessed a man and female running across a pasture toward a barn on Quay Road AI. He said officers surrounded the barn and ordered the couple out at gunpoint.

Bateman said the two were taken into custody without incident and a search warrant was obtained for the vehicle. He said officers located a small amount of methamphetamine and documents linking the couple to the burglary of a business in Jospeh City , Ariz.

Bateman said officers found the couple had burglarized a near by vacant residence and removed a rug, which they used to try and cover the car.

Both Webb and Cervantes are being held in the Quay County Detention Center.

Webb is charged with felony evading, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence, burglary, criminal trespass, concealing Identification and five misdemeanor charges.

Cervantes is charged with conspiracy to evade, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence, burglary of a dwelling and four misdemeanor charges