Santa Rosa Woman Arrested After Second High-Speed Pursuit In A Month
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- A Santa Rosa woman was in county jail Monday after being arrested for a second time in a month for leading local law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit.
Santa Rosa police said Aura Palma, a 42-year-old Santa Rosa transient, was being held on attempting to evade police, assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run, vandalism and resisting arrest charges.
The latest pursuit began at approximately 7:57 p.m. on Sunday.
Santa Rosa officers responded to a report of a suspicious female in the 600 block of Corlano Avenue, who was knocking on local residents doors.
Callers said the woman had gotten into a pink ford pickup truck and left the area.
A responding officer located the vehicle driving down Brookwood Ave. as it pulled into the parking lot of 7-Eleven, located at 1401 Maple Ave.
As the officer pulled in to the parking lot to contact the driver, she backed up and collided with the officer's patrol vehicle. The driver then drove away from the scene as officers attempted to talk with her.
Santa Rosa officers were familiar with Palma as she had recently led officers on a vehicle pursuit on May 27th after stealing a vehicle. In that incident, Palma drove recklessly and was apprehended after she blew glitter on arresting officers.
In this incident, officers again attempted a traffic enforcement stop but Palma fled in her vehicle. Palma led the officers on a vehicle pursuit where she reached speeds of 60 MPH on Bennet Valley Rd. and drove through the Highway 12 Park-and-Ride parking lot.
During the vehicle pursuit, an officer attempted to utilize a Pursuit Intervention Technique to disable the vehicle. But the PIT did not bring Palma to a halt.
She then drove through a chain-link fence at the Veterans Memorial Building and continued driving recklessly in the parking lot. At one-point, Palma attempted to drive head-on into a pursuing officer and attempted to strike him with her vehicle. The officer was able to take evasive action and avoided the collision.
Palma ultimately stopped her vehicle in the parking lot and barricaded herself inside. Pursuing officers and crisis negotiating officers talked with Palma for over 40 minutes. She finally exited the vehicle where she was taken into custody without incident.
