Photo: Christie Wilson
Ventura County – It was just after noon on May 30th when a Ventura County Sheriff’s Department deputy on routine patrol spotted a car traveling at a high rate of speed down a major city thoroughfare. According to VDSD spokesman Det. Shawn Pewsey, the deputy promptly “attempted to stop the vehicle.”
As rarely happens when a cop—trained in such matters and driving a high-octane patrol car—gives pursuit, the suspect vehicle was traveling at speeds that the deputy “was unable to catch up to it.” At that point, deputies from the VCSD Fillmore station were called into action and gave chase. But even with multiple black-and-white units in hot pursuit, “the driver failed to yield,” and the chase continued.
During the course of the incident, deputies determined that the driver of the vehicle was 38-year-old Santa Paula resident Christie Wilson, a woman wanted on an outstanding felony warrant who “had been involved in an earlier pursuit with the Santa Paula Police Department. As she was driving in apparent disregard for the safety of the motoring public, the pursuing units called off their chase while a VCSD aviation unit was called into action.
With the help of the helicopter surveillance on the suspect vehicle, a short time later deputies located the car abandoned at a Fillmore residence. The area was canvassed with the help of a Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit. Deputies soon learned that “a ranch truck had been stolen” from someone working nearby. It was presumed Wilson had stolen the truck and made good her escape.
Less than 24 hours later, detectives arrived at Wilson’s Santa Paula home, where they found her “hiding inside.” She was taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail, where she was booked on charges of vehicle theft, felony evading, and on the outstanding felony warrant, with her bail set at $270,000.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking.
