Woman arrested after leading officers on a chase in stolen police cruiser

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A 22-year-old woman who led officers on a chase from downtown San Diego to Oceanside in a stolen police cruiser is in custody Saturday on suspicion of multiple felony charges.

Felicitas Flores is accused of stealing the parked police cruiser about 11:30 p.m. Friday on the 300 block of 17th Street in the East Village neighborhood, San Diego police Officer Ben Newton said.

Flores was apprehended around midnight after a pursuit on the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 led her to Oceanside, Newton said. The stolen cruiser’s tires were spiked on the freeway, just north of Carlsbad, but the pursuit continued to a rest stop north of Oceanside.

As officers in cars attempted to arrest Flores, she collided head-on with a police vehicle, Newton said. No injuries were reported.

Flores was booked into jail about 5:20 a.m. today on suspicion of felony grand theft auto, evading police, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon that is not a firearm on a peace officer, and other felony and misdemeanor charges, according to information from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department website.

She was expected to be arraigned Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Downtown San Diego County courthouse.