Woman accused of leading police on pursuit faces judge

SAN DIEGO — A motorist who allegedly fled a traffic stop in the Talmadge area and led police on a 20-minute, two-city pursuit before getting cornered and refusing to exit her SUV, prompting officers to force entry and drag her out of the vehicle, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to felony evading and misdemeanor counts of resisting officers.
Diane Deliah Daniels, 57, was ordered held on $50,000 bail.
The defendant refused to confirm her date of birth for Judge Maureen Hallahan, saying she was willing to “contract” with the judge if shown an injured party. Daniels also refused to sign an acknowledgment of rights form, prompting the judge to verbally read the defendant her rights.
Watch Video: Police chase driver through San Diego streets
San Diego police said the chase began shortly after 11 a.m. last Thursday, when patrol personnel tried to pull Daniels over on 54th Street near El Cajon Boulevard because the black Cadillac Escalade she was driving lacked license plates.
The motorist allegedly failed to yield and fled to the east into La Mesa at moderate speeds. At one point, she pulled over briefly at an intersection but drove off again as an officer approached her on foot.
At Baltimore Drive and University Avenue, Daniels slowed and made a U-turn, and police used the opportunity to surround her vehicle with their cruisers and block her in on the roadside.
Still, Daniels refused to get out of the vehicle and surrender, according to police. After several minutes, an officer broke out the front passenger window on the SUV, and other patrol personnel yanked open the driver’s door, pulled her out, handcuffed her and put her in the back of a patrol car.
A readiness conference was scheduled for Jan. 25 and a preliminary hearing for Jan. 29.
Source: Fox5