SAN GABRIEL — An Arcadia woman is accused of leading San Gabriel police and a high speed chase that traversed the San Gabriel Valley twice over more than an hour late Saturday, authorities said.
Jennifer McElhaney, 25, was booked on suspicion of auto theft and felony evading of police after she was ultimately ditched the car and was found hiding in a residential neighborhood in Covina, San Gabriel police Lt. Tony Hernandez said.
The incident began when San Gabriel police officer spotted a car that had been reported stolen parked in the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy at San Gabriel Boulevard and Las Tunas Drive, Hernandez said.
Officers watched as a woman, later identified as McElhaney, got into the car and began driving, he said.
“We attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle,” Hernandez said. “She fled.”
The chase reached speeds in excess of 100 mph at times as McElhaney led officers down the 10, 101, 110 and 210 Freeways to Pasadena, he said.
McElhaney then headed east on the 210 Freeway, exited Vernon Avenue in Azusa and continued on surface streets through Covina and West Covina, Hernandez said.
She managed to get back on the 210 Freeway and headed back to Pasadena, before again turning around and driving back into Covina, police said.
The car chase came to an end when McElhaney abandoned the car in the 200 block of Benbow Street in Covina and continued to flee on foot, Hernandez said. She was found hiding in the area a little more than 20 minutes later.
According to county booking records, McElhaney was being held in lieu of $130,500 bail pending her initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in Alhambra Superior Court.