Two from Prairie City arrested in high-speed pursuit

Two local residents are being held without bond following a high-speed pursuit that started in Prairie City Sunday and ended in Lambs Grove.

Derek Mullennax, 35, and Jessica Cubbage, 25, both of Prairie City, are being held without bond at the Jasper County Jail.

Authorities were attempting to locate Mullennax in a Prairie City west side neighborhood on Sunday as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. Officers spotted his vehicle on Highway 163 west of Prairie City but were unable to stop it.

Polk County and Pleasant Hill police departments were contacted with Pleasant Hill officers also failed to stop Mullennax, who then traveled on Highway 65. While in the Pleasant Hill area, Mullennax discharged a firearm, firing several rounds at officers, before heading east to Jasper County.

Mullennax then went eastbound on Interstate 80 and exited at Colfax. The pursuit went through several residential areas then returned to I-80. While in Colfax an Iowa State Patrol car became disabled on Cherry Street east of Highway 117. Colfax resident Lisa Linn witnessed the chase as the suspects and several law enforcement vehicles sped by her Cherry Street home.

“My neighbor saw them very close up. He said (Cubbage) looked real calm and was just hanging out in the car,” Linn said. “I heard a whole lot of sirens and when I opened the door this police car came skidding to a stop. Then (the trooper) was yelling for people to get inside.”

At the I-80 / Highway 117 interchange, Jasper County deputies attempted to deploy stop sticks when Mullennax attempted to ram their vehicles. He then continued east on I-80 before exiting at the mile-marker 159 interchange.

The Newton Police Department were requested for assistance and set up west of Newton on Highway F-48. As the driver approached the officers, he turned north onto West 36th Street North, which is a dead end road.

He continued into a field, where his vehicle hit a tree.

Mullennax and Cubbage exited the vehicle and the led officers on a pursuit of foot for several minutes before they were captured. Mullennax was armed with the handgun at the time of arrest.

Mullennax and Cubbage were taken to Skiff Medical Center before being transferred to the Jasper County Jail, where they are both being held without bond.

An state patrol vehicle also caught fire during pursuit in the field. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Mullennax is charged with attempted murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a firearm and felony eluding in Polk County and felony eluding, conspiracy to manufacture/sales of controlled substance, drug tax stamp violation and possession of drug paraphernalia in Jasper County.

Cubbage is charged with conspiracy to manufacture/sales a controlled substance, drug tax stamp violation and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com