Woman arrested after high-speed chase through Marin, Sonoma counties

By Carlos E. Castañeda

A woman driving a vehicle stolen in Santa Rosa led California Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed chase on Wednesday before she was taken into custody, video from the agency showed.

The California Highway Patrol posted a video on social media on Friday showing the incident recorded from a helicopter during the chase which started in Santa Rosa shortly after 5 p.m. and ended in Sonoma County. 

The vehicle was stolen from the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket on Mendocino Avenue, the CHP said. The crew aboard the agency’s Henry-1 helicopter spotted the vehicle heading south on U.S. Highway 101 near downtown Santa Rosa.

The video shows the suspect driving the blue sedan recklessly through heavy traffic, using the shoulder and center divide at speeds topping 100 miles per hour. The vehicle merged onto eastbound state Highway 37 and at Lakeville Highway, the vehicle began running into heavy traffic. 

Just before the Highway 121/Arnold Drive junction at Sears Point, the woman pulled over to the right shoulder, exited the vehicle, and was seen attempting to open the passenger door of a slowly moving white SUV. At that moment CHP officers arrived with guns drawn; the woman was ordered to the ground with her arms outstretched and was safely taken into custody.

There were no injuries reported in the incident.

The suspect was identified as 37-year-old Ashley Delafuente. Jail records show that she was booked on felony charges of auto theft, petty theft with a prior felony conviction, reckless evading, attempted carjacking, along with a misdemeanor hit-and-run resulting in property damage. 

She was being held at the Main Adult Detention Facility in Santa Rosa with no bail.