Woman steals County of Fresno car, deputies say, leading to chase with a dramatic finish

A woman stole a van belonging to a Fresno County health agency, then led deputies on a chase that saw her hit a patrol vehicle and another car, the Sheriff’s Office reported Friday.

The incident began and ended in dramatic fashion, Lt. Matt Alexander said, with the woman jumping into a vehicle left running just before 2 p.m. outside Exodus Recovery Center on Kings Canyon Road — with a patient in the backseat. The patient was able to get out just before the suspect drove off.

Deputies responded to the report of the stolen vehicle —assigned to the county’s Behavioral Health Department — and eventually spotted it and began the pursuit.

At a roadblock near Chestnut and Church avenues, Alexander said, the van finally came to a stop but only after hitting a patrol unit and another vehicle.

Even then, he said, the woman refused to exit the van, so deputies smashed a window to get her out.

The suspect was identified as a 22-year-old who herself was a patient and had just left the Exodus facility.

Potential charges include auto theft, possession of stolen property and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, Alexander said.

No injuries were reported.

This story was originally published June 25, 2021 at 6:29 PM.