A 25-year-old woman with felony warrants fled from Seattle police in a Mercedes with no licence plates on New Year’s Day, then ran from officers on foot before being caught carrying fentanyl and drug dealing paraphernalia.
On January 1 just before 1 p.m., an SPD officer saw a Mercedes with no licence plates near Republican Street and Queen Anne Avenue North. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled from them at a high rate of speed, violating multiple traffic laws.
Shortly thereafter, police spotted the driver and another man getting out of the car near 4th Avenue and Battery Street. They began walking away from the vehicle as officers caught up to the driver and ordered her to stop. She ran from officers as they chased after her on foot, quickly arresting her.
Police found the woman to have an “armed and dangerous” caution and felony arrest warrants:
$15,000 for dangerous drugs, unlawful possession of a firearm, escape, and theft.
$15,000 for possession of a stolen vehicle.
During the arrest, police recovered:
1.3 grammes of fentanyl.
Digital scale and baggies.
Drug paraphernalia.
$116 cash.
Mercedes car key.
Officers booked the woman into the King County Jail for eluding and her warrants. They requested criminal charges for obstruction and narcotics possession. Officers detained the other man for questioning but later released him.
The no-licence-plates Mercedes represents an immediate red flag for patrol officers. Vehicles without plates are often stolen, driven by people with suspended licences, or used in criminal activity precisely because they’re harder to track.
The driver fleeing at high speed rather than pulling over for a traffic stop demonstrates consciousness of guilt. Someone with nothing to hide doesn’t risk a high-speed chase over missing plates.
The “armed and dangerous” caution attached to the woman’s warrants means law enforcement databases flagged her as potentially carrying weapons and willing to use violence. Officers approaching her knew they were dealing with someone considered a serious threat.
The $15,000 warrant for dangerous drugs, unlawful firearm possession, escape, and theft shows a pattern of serious criminal behaviour. The “escape” charge indicates she’d previously fled from custody or supervision, making her flight from police predictable.
The second $15,000 warrant for possession of a stolen vehicle raises questions about whether the Mercedes she was driving on New Year’s Day was also stolen. The car key found during her arrest suggests ownership or access, but the warrant indicates a history of driving stolen cars.
The 1.3 grammes of fentanyl, digital scale, and baggies represent classic drug dealing tools. Fentanyl sold in small quantities measured on digital scales and packaged in individual baggies indicates street-level distribution rather than personal use.
The $116 cash found on her, whilst not a large sum, is consistent with recent drug sales. Dealers rarely carry large amounts of cash that could be seized during arrest, instead converting earnings to purchases or stashing money elsewhere.
The male passenger being detained then released suggests either he had no warrants and no contraband on him, or police didn’t have sufficient evidence to charge him despite his association with the woman. His relationship to her, whether boyfriend, customer, or accomplice, remains unspecified.
The woman abandoning the Mercedes near 4th and Battery and walking away rather than driving until forced to stop suggests she recognised police were closing in and hoped to blend in as a pedestrian.
Officers catching up and ordering her to stop gave her a chance to surrender peacefully. Her decision to run forced the foot chase that ended in her arrest.
The eluding charge for fleeing police in a vehicle carries serious penalties in Washington, with potential prison time and mandatory licence suspension. Combined with the existing warrants and new charges for obstruction and narcotics possession, she faces years in prison if convicted on all counts.
The New Year’s Day timing places this arrest during a holiday when many people were celebrating, whilst this woman was allegedly dealing fentanyl and fleeing from police with outstanding warrants.
