2 others arrested for allegedly helping Phoenix evade police
PHOENIX — Two more people have been arrested for allegedly helping Nicholas Cowan evade police while he was wanted in the killing of a Phoenix officer earlier this month, authorities said Thursday.
Caroline Coster, 35, and Michael Hankins, 41, were jailed for their roles in the case on Wednesday, the Phoenix Police Department said.
Three people have now been charged with helping Cowan while he was on the run.
Cowan is accused of shooting from a car at two officers who were responding to a domestic violence call outside a Phoenix gas station, hitting one, on April 14. He was hit by return fire but fled the scene.
He remained at large until he was spotted at a rental property in Scottsdale on April 17 and taken into custody after an hour-long standoff.
Hankins was convicted of obstructing a prosecution, according to court documents. He reportedly let Cowan stay at his home on April 14 and 15 before paying to rent the Airbnb location where Cowan was arrested. Hankins also had two felony warrants.
Details on Coster’s involvement were not immediately available.
On April 16, Nicole Rose Montalbano, 34, was arrested after a search warrant was served at her Prescott Valley residence. Montalbano, mentioned in court documents as a girlfriend of Cowan, was incarcerated in a Phoenix jail for obstructing a prosecution and tampering with evidence.
Cowan was hospitalized after his arrest. He was released on Monday evening and taken to jail, but was returned to hospital for monitoring on Tuesday morning before the booking process was completed.
The injured officer is a 24-year veteran of the force. She underwent surgery after the shooting and as of Thursday was recovering in a rehabilitation center, police said.
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