Woman steals car in Greeley, leads police on chase through Pierce, Nunn – Greeley Tribune

A woman is in Weld County Jail after police say she stole another woman’s car, throwing her out of her own vehicle, then drove more than 50 mph over the speed limit, sparking a police chase through an elementary school playground earlier this month.

According to an arrest affidavit, police arrested 40-year-old Heather Wallace on July 13 in Nunn after a short chase that began in Pierce. Police say she stole the vehicle less than 30 minutes earlier in north Greeley.

According to court records, Wallace is charged with second-degree auto theft, robbery and eluding from a vehicle, as well as five other misdemeanors, in connection with the incidents.

An Ault police officer saw a white sedan traveling 93 mph in a 45 mph zone while patrolling at U.S. 85 and Park Avenue in Pierce around 4:15 p.m. on July 13, the affidavit states. Pierce does not have a police department, so Ault police patrol both communities.

According to police, the sedan passed the officer as he was turning left onto Park Avenue. The officer turned on his headlights and attempted to pull the driver over. The driver did not stop, but drove through a gap in a fence that led onto the playground at Highland Elementary School, the affidavit states. The driver drove on a sidewalk parallel to the playground before leaving the playground and continuing north on U.S. 85, police said.

According to police, the driver was traveling north in the southbound lane out of Pierce and eventually crashed into a field in the 400 block of Fifth Street in Nunn.

After the accident, police arrested Wallace. They discovered that her license had been suspended because she was a habitual traffic offender. They also allegedly found a soap pipe in the center console with residue that tested positive for methamphetamine.

When Wallace crashed into the field, she caused about $500 worth of damage to the roof of an early 2000s Chevy truck, according to police. She also caused over $1,000 worth of damage to the sedan, according to a separate affidavit.

About 15 minutes earlier, Greeley police had been called to the 1100 block of M Street for a report of a stolen vehicle.

A woman told police that she smoked a cigarette while taking a break in the driver’s seat of her car parked in front of her workplace.

She said a white woman “wearing heavy makeup,” with long brown hair and a pink shirt – later identified as Wallace – approached her and tried to open the passenger door, the affidavit states.

The woman rolled down the window to speak to Wallace, who took the opportunity to reach into the car and unlock the door, police said. Wallace then got into the car and told the victim to drive away, the affidavit states.

The victim refused to drive and told police that she attempted to de-escalate the situation before Wallace climbed over the center console, sat on the victim’s lap, put the vehicle in reverse and accelerated.

The victim couldn’t remember if she or Wallace opened the door, but Wallace pushed the victim out of the vehicle as it was backing up, the affidavit states. The victim told police she thought Wallace was dragging her with the vehicle, but got up as quickly as she could to avoid being run over.

According to police, the victim had bruising on his left arm and pain in his back and side.

An employee of a neighboring business told police, according to an affidavit, that Wallace walked through the parking lot, tried doorknobs and looked into vehicles.

When police reported the stolen vehicle, Ult police were already on the hunt for Wallace.

Wallace was booked into the Weld County Jail. A hearing on both cases is scheduled for August 19 in Weld District Court.