A chaotic night in Cheney, Washington, turned into a viral clip and a criminal case after a driver allegedly mounted a sidewalk and chased a child on a dirt bike, then ended up at a nearby house where neighbors say she acted wildly and face-planted on the porch. This piece walks through the video, witness accounts, the burglary claim, the arrest and the charges now facing the woman accused in the incident.
Deputies from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office responded just after 6 p.m. to reports of a reckless and aggressive driver tearing through a residential neighborhood. Neighbors captured cellphone footage showing a silver sedan weaving down the street, honking, then climbing a curb and accelerating toward a juvenile on a dirt bike.
“During the incident, the suspect drove up on the sidewalk and attempted to hit a juvenile riding a bike,” police stated. The sheriff’s office also noted, “The driver chased the juvenile on the sidewalk before reentering the roadway and leaving the area,” and emphasized the danger of what they called an “extremely dangerous incident.”
“This woman is crazy,” the neighbor is heard saying in the video the sheriff’s office released Monday. “She’s trying to run this … oh my God … You’re kidding! Oh my God,” the person recording the wild video is heard screaming as the car lunges toward the youngster.
Police say the juvenile was not struck and walked away without injury, but the scene quickly shifted when deputies were alerted to a possible residential burglary about a mile away less than half an hour later. The homeowner watched a suspect on a live security feed trying door handles and called authorities, unsure whether the person had gained entry.
Deputies found the same silver Ford Focus parked in a driveway and identified the woman as 56-year-old Wendy A. Clemente. According to investigators, Clemente told them she had “took her dog for a ride, looking for other dogs to socialize with” and claimed she stopped when she noticed fenced dogs at that address.
Clemente reportedly “denied entering or attempting to enter his residence,” although the homeowner paints a different picture. “She was smashing the front door, and she stumbled off because she looked so drunk.” He said she fell from the porch, face-planted, then rifled through belongings and examined jewelry, though he said nothing was taken while he and his wife were away.
“The victim, who was not home, said he was watching a suspect on his live security system trying door handles, and it was unclear if the suspect entered the residence,” the sheriff’s office stated. Deputies secured a search warrant to collect a blood sample after noticing signs Clemente might be impaired.
“Despite indicators that Clemente was impaired, she denied drinking alcohol or consuming any drugs, but later changed her story and admitted to drinking alcohol.” When officers moved to book her on suspicion of driving under the influence, she reportedly resisted arrest and “While trying to put her in the back of a patrol car, she resisted and even tried to kick a deputy,” according to police notes.
Clemente was eventually restrained and booked into the Spokane County Jail on multiple charges that include first-degree attempted assault, DUI, and first-degree criminal trespass. Court records show she pleaded not guilty and was ordered released on her own recognizance at arraignment the following day, with a scheduled return to court in mid-May.
Neighbors and officials say the video has sparked alarm across the small community, not just because a child was nearly harmed but because it was followed by what residents describe as erratic behavior at a nearby home. Investigators continue to piece together the timeline, and prosecutors will decide how to proceed based on the evidence collected, including video, witness statements, and the blood test results.
