Police in California arrested a woman Saturday night after she led officers on a car chase onto a beach and into the Pacific Ocean, ABC7 reported.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers began to pursue the woman for allegedly speeding in the Temple City area, ABC7 reported a CHP spokesperson saying. The woman reportedly then led police to Venice Beach in Marina del Rey, where she drove her BMW onto the sand and into the ocean before abandoning the vehicle and trying to make a swim escape, according to ABC7. (RELATED: Police Chase Ends As Mini Cooper Plunges Into Houston Bayou With Toddler Inside)
The woman faces potential charges of speeding and evading. https://t.co/RQojZUNhh2
— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) March 18, 2024
Police rescued the suspect from the water and took her to a hospital, the outlet reported.
Police said that there were also two small dogs in the car, one who was able to jump out of a window and run to the beach parking lot and another that was rescued from inside the vehicle, NBC LA reported.
“I was just hanging out with some friends at this bar, when all of a sudden I see this car just fly down into the water,” witness Angel Juarez told ABC7. “I saw a bunch of CHP officers chasing it. … I ran over there with some of my friends and we looked. The lady was swimming into the ocean.
“It was pretty intense,” Juarez said. “The Coast Guard came, all the police were here. Everyone was hiked up on the pier. That was probably one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.”
Another witness told NBC LA, “First of all we are in LA. Happens all the time here.”
The woman was arrested for evading police and animal cruelty, NBC LA reported. The dogs are now safely with animal control, according to the outlet.