2 women arrested in Santa Rosa following crazy crash in stolen vehicle
SANTA ROSA -- Two East Bay women are under arrest in Santa Rosa on various charges after they allegedly stole an SUV, crashed it into another car then fled the scene with a third female suspect who has not been found.
Police responding Friday morning to reports of a disturbance in the 70 block of West Third Street found a silver-gray Toyota Highlander high-centered on the hood of a yellow Ford Mustang.
Police said the driver of the Toyota had attempted to drive through a closed gate which was blocked by the Mustang even as its owner was in the process of opening the gate.
Officers determined that the Toyota had been stolen in San Francisco and they set up a perimeter and used a drone in an effort to capture the three occupants, all of whom fled on foot in several directions.
Officers found two of the suspects hiding in a small bathroom adjacent to a residence. They were taken into custody without incident, a police spokesman said.
Police found two catalytic converters along with "burglary tools" inside the SUV. One of the converters had been pulled off the Mustang, according to police.
The two suspects were identified as Raechelle Howard, 27, of Oakland and Michaela Hicks, 29, of San Leandro.
Howard was charged on suspicion of vandalism, conspiracy, ID theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and bringing drugs into jail; Hicks was arrested on suspicion of vandalism, ID theft and conspiracy.
Both women were booked into the Sonoma County Jail. Police are still looking for the third suspect.
