Woman Responsible for El Monte Area Carjack and Chase Charged with Multiple Felonies

El Monte, CA--A woman accused of stealing a truck at knife-point in South El Monte and leading deputies on a chase that ended at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens was charged today with a series of felonies.

Kelsey Woods, 26, was charged with two counts of assault on a peace officer and single counts of carjacking and fleeing a pursuing peace officer.

According to the District Attorney's Office, Woods was convicted last year of leading police on a chase.

She is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon at the El Monte Courthouse, with prosecutors expected to ask that her bail be set at $120,000.

Woods allegedly approached a woman with a knife on Wednesday in South El Monte and took her truck. Sheriff's deputies spotted her later that day and tried to stop her, but she fled, authorities said. During the ensuing chase, she drove into oncoming traffic and ran numerous red lights, prosecutors said.

Deputies were able to deploy a spike strip that flattened one of the vehicles tires during the pursuit, resulting in a shower of sparks as the bare rim spun on the roadway. At one point, she allegedly stopped the vehicle and backed into a deputy's patrol car before fleeing again.

She ultimately came to a stop and surrendered in the Bicycle Casino parking lot.
She faces up to 16 years and four months in prison if convicted.

City News Service