Hemet Police Nab 19-Year-Old in Car Chase
HEMET – Police arrested a 19-year-old woman who tried to ram a police car on Tuesday night, leading officers on a high speed chase of a car that may have been reported as stolen. Danielle Elizabeth LaBuff was arrested by police after she reportedly “accelerated toward a police” car, then fled toward downtown Hemet with law enforcement officers in pursuit. Eventually, police backed off the pursuit for safety precautions.
Officers first engaged LaBuff on West Latham Street
A Hemet Police Department news release said a man initially called to report a possible drunk driver who was running red lights in the 3300 block of West Florida Ave., the city’s main thoroughfare. The 10 p.m. report led officers to begin looking out for a white Dodge Neon. Officers, who later learned the car might have been reported stolen, noticed LaBuff driving near the 700 block of West Latham Ave., according to the release.
They attempted a traffic stop, but LaBuff reportedly did not pull over and began leading officers on a chase down State Street in the direction of Cactus Valley Road. When LaBuff turned into a dirt field, she reportedly accelerated toward one of the pursuing police units. The officer backed out of the way at the last minute. The chase continued back onto State Street through downtown Hemet. Speeds topped 100 miles an hour, said police, and the officers broke off pursuit because of the threat to public safety.
LaBuff ended up on a dirt field when State turns into Cactus Valley Road, and accelerated towards one of the pursuing police
A few minutes after concluding the high speed chase, another Hemet patrolman spotted a vehicle matching the description of the sought-after Dodge Neon parked just off State Street, near Montrose Avenue. LaBuff was then taken into custody without incident. She was booked into Southwest Detention Center in nearby French Valley on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest and possession of stolen property. Bail was set at $100,000.
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Press Enterprise: Woman arrested after high-speed chase
