A woman from another state was handcuffed and in the process of being arrested for shoplifting, when she climbed through the glass partition of the police car and took off. With her hands cuffed behind her back, she slammed into her family’s car and drove off reaching speeds of 100 mph. Her entire journey was recorded on the police cruiser’s dash cam, which eventually ended with the woman getting out of the car and running off into the woods with her hands still cinched behind her back. Now, along with her Shoplifting Theft charge, she will be facing Vehicular Eluding, Criminal Mischief, and Escape.
Now, along with her Shoplifting Theft charge, she will be facing Vehicular Eluding, Criminal Mischief, and Escape.
Vehicular Eluding in Greeley and Windsor
C.R.S. 42-4-1413 – Eluding or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer – is charged when:
This woman, using an actual police car, knew the police were pursuing her after she took off in the police car where she was being detained. She reached very high speeds in her attempt to get away, which would be considered reckless. This crime is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense in Greeley, Johnstown, and Erie. Stealing the police car might be seen as felony Theft.
Weld County Criminal Mischief
Colorado law defines C.R.S. 18-4-501 – Criminal Mischief – as:
Because this woman caused damage to the police car when she rammed it into her own car in an attempt to get away, she would be charged with Criminal Mischief. The amount of total damages decides what level misdemeanor or felony is charged in Weld, Morgan and Logan County. If the damages total:
- Less than $300 – Class 3 Misdemeanor
- $300 – $749 – Class 2 Misdemeanor
- $750 – $999 – Class 1 Misdemeanor
- $1,000 – $4,999 – Class 6 Felony
- $5,000 – $19,999 – Class 5 Felony
- $20,000 – $99,999 – Class 4 Felony
- $100,000 – $999,999 – Class 3 Felony
- $1,000,000 or more – Class 2 Felony
Escape Charges in Morgan and Logan County
An Escape – C.R.S. 18-8-208 – is charged when a person is in custody or being confined for a crime and leaves lawful custody with the intent to avoid the due course of justice. The handcuffed woman stole the police car with the intent to escape from the police and avoid being charged and prosecuted for the Shoplifting Theft. Escape charges are punished based on the original crime a person is charged with or convicted of. Most Shoplifting Thefts are charged as misdemeanors because the total value of the items stolen are less than $2,000. If this were the case for the woman above, she would be charged with a class 1 petty offense, because she was being held for a misdemeanor, but not yet convicted of it.
If you have been contacted by a Greeley police officer about any crime, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call us at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.
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