Burnt Car in Woods, Mystery for Police

COHASSET – Butte County Sheriff’s deputies have a mystery to solve after they were dispatched to the 10000 block of Cohasset Road on Sunday morning, January 6.

What residents thought was shooting, turned out to be a burning car

The peaceful neighborhood of Cohasset was startled at the mysterious events of that morning. Rob Minter, a resident in the area, said, “We heard what we thought were gunshots…we found a gal in the woods, who seemed like she was not in her right mind.”  What Minter thought were gunshots turned out to be a car which a woman drove into the woods before it exploded.

At 9:30 am, deputies found the “gal” Minter was referring to. Kari Rupert, 45, a member of the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program (SWAP), apparently drove the car. She was arrested on suspicion of violation of SWAP and possession of narcotics. She was given more narcotics charges after being searched in jail and found in possession of drugs.

Cohasset Road is surrounded by woods

What puzzled the police was that there were no main roads near the area. As the Cal Fire-Butte County responded to the fire, they were unable to get their engines to the location due to too many trees surrounding the area. Therefore, it was a mystery as to how Rupert ended up driving into the woods. According to Minter’s testimony, she most likely “went off on a private road and came across the back way of the property.” He added,  “Why she went where she did makes no sense at all.”

Rupert’s subsequent behavior seemed odd also. After she was handcuffed and placed in the back of the sheriff’s vehicle, she was able to briefly escape through a window. “The window was slightly down and she was able to push it out,” Sgt. Chris Nicodemus said. However, a witness stated that Rupert had handcuffs in her hand when she was outside the vehicle. It is still a question how the window became cracked or how Rupert escaped while being handcuffed.

Unfortunately, deputies are unable to get any clues from the vehicle due to extreme damage. “We don’t know much about the vehicle; it was pretty much burnt beyond recognition,” Nicodemus said.

Read More:

Chico Enterprise: Car Burns in Woods Near Cohasset; Woman Arrested