People v. Rodriguez CA6

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. Facts of the Offense1 On May 17, 2015, Gilroy police officers engaged Rodriguez in a high speed chase at 80 to 95 miles per hour on southbound U.S. Highway 101. Monterey County Highway Patrol officers joined the pursuit. When she reached Salinas, Rodriguez exited the highway and drove on the wrong side of the road in a continued attempt to evade police. After several turns leading into a residential area, Rodriguez pulled into an apartment complex and stopped the car. She and her passenger jumped out and attempted to run away. Salinas police officers arrested both parties. A records check showed the car had been reported stolen out of Bakersfield. Police determined Rodriguez and her passenger also had been involved in a hit and run while driving the same vehicle in Santa Clara County. A search of the car yielded two bindles of methamphetamine weighing a total of two grams. B. Procedural Background The prosecution charged Rodriguez by felony complaint with four counts: Count One—Evading a peace officer in a willful disregard for safety (Veh. Code, § 2800.2, subd. (a)); Count Two—Evading a peace officer in a direction opposite to traffic…