A Chico woman is in custody after leading law enforcement on a pursuit in a stolen vehicle that ended in a crash on Wednesday evening. The incident began when officers from the Chico Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle reported as stolen in the area of East Avenue and Cohasset Road.
The driver, identified as 34-year-old Maria Hernandez, refused to pull over and instead sped away, initiating a chase that lasted several minutes.
Authorities from the Butte County Sheriff's Office and the Oroville Police Department assisted in the pursuit, which traveled through residential neighborhoods and busy intersections. The chase came to an end when Hernandez lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a fence near the intersection of Park Avenue and West Sacramento Avenue in Chico.
No other vehicles or pedestrians were involved in the collision.
Hernandez was taken into custody without further incident and transported to a local hospital for minor injuries sustained in the crash. She has been booked into the Butte County Jail on charges of evading a peace officer, possession of a stolen vehicle, and driving without a valid license.
The Glenn County Sheriff's Office also provided support during the operation, as the pursuit briefly crossed into Glenn County before returning to Butte County.
The Chico Police Department urges anyone with information about the incident to contact their office. The investigation is ongoing.