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Suspect who allegedly stole San Diego police car caught after chase

A woman was arrested early Saturday on suspicion of stealing a police car and leading police on a high-speed chase. Above, a San Diego police car in 2011.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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A 22-year-old woman was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of stealing a San Diego police car and leading authorities on a high-speed chase that ended in Oceanside.

Felicitas Flores faces possible charges of drunk driving, grand theft auto, assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest and vandalism, according to jail records. The records indicate she has had two prior arrests for drunk driving. She is in jail in lieu of $280,000 bail.

The incident began close to midnight just east of downtown when a woman stole a parked police car and sped off, police said.

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After receiving information from drivers about a police car driving erratically on Interstate 5, San Diego police and California Highway Patrol cars began chasing the stolen vehicle. At Carlsbad, a spike strip was used to slow down the car, which had reportedly reached speeds up to 90 mph.

Even with deflated tires, the driver of the stolen vehicle continued northward until pulling into a rest area north of Oceanside. Quickly surrounded by police vehicles, the driver attempted to drive away, smashing head-on into one of the police cars, police said.

Once the stolen car was disabled, the suspect was arrested at gunpoint without resisting, police said.

Twitter: @LATsandiego

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