On Tuesday, at about 10:00pm, Hemet Police Dispatch received a call from a citizen who thought he was following a drunk driver. The caller said the driver of a white Dodge Neon was running red lights in the 3300 block of W. Florida Avenue.
Hemet officers located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop in the area of 700 W. Latham Avenue. The vehicle failed to stop and pulled away from the officers. Officers quickly learned the vehicle had previously been reported stolen out of Hemet a day prior.
A pursuit was initiated and the driver led officers south on State Street to Cactus Valley Road. The driver failed to make a turn and drove into a dirt field. After getting control of the vehicle, the driver accelerated toward a police car. The officer in the police car saw the driver trying to hit him and quickly backed out of the way at the last moment. The driver came so close to the officer that he was able to see into the suspect vehicle and could see that the lone occupant was a female driver.
The vehicle headed back toward Hemet and increased its speed to over 100 mph. With this increased speed, obvious disregard for the safety of others, and increased vehicle traffic coming up, the officers terminated the pursuit.
A few minutes later, another Hemet officer was in the area of State Street and Westmont Avenue when he saw the vehicle parked near Montrose and Westmont. Officers approached the vehicle and took the driver into custody without incident. No injuries were reported.
Arrested:
Danielle LaBuff 19 years old
Charges:
Felony Evading
Possession of Stolen Property
Assault with a Deadly Weapon against a Police Officer