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A nude, female driver led Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a wild chase along Highway 599 Saturday morning and it was all captured on camera.
According to a criminal complaint, the chaos started when drivers on I-25 northbound reported a woman throwing things out of her silver Toyota Rav4’s window. A SFCSO deputy decided to post up at the 599 exit, waiting to catch the driver.
Sure enough, the car and driver in question exited at 599 and made a left turn from the far right turn lane, right in front of the deputy. The chase began.
The driver, identified as 51-year-old Barbara Arellano, didn’t pull over, but did turn on the emergency flashers for the car while fleeing. She then ran a red light, sped up to more than 100 miles an hour, and nearly ran another driver off the road. Then, when she tried to blow the red light at 599 and Airport Drive, Arellano crashed into a truck that had the right of way.
Her car went flying on impact, and when she got out of her crashed car is when things got weird. Arellano ran naked across 599, yelling and pointing at the deputy. It was all caught on dash camera.
Deputies chased her, off-camera, tackled and cuffed her. She reportedly struggled with them while yelling “Jehovah!” over and over again.
A bystander offered up a blue tarp to cover Arellano. She was then put into the back of a patrol car, where she continued yelling “Jehovah!”
Deputies had to put a mask over Arellano’s head because she tried spitting on them. At the jail, she refused to have her blood drawn to see if she was drunk or high. She also again struggles with deputies and jail guards.
According to the criminal complaint, at one point she did admit to doing heroin, taking pills and drinking whiskey before driving. She also told deputies that she suffers from schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder.
Arellano was charged with DWI, reckless driving, fleeing from police and battery on a peace officer. She was also picked up on an outstanding warrant for child abuse out of Taos.