Syracuse woman charged with allegedly driving through backyard during police chase
Elkhart County Jail ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- A Syracuse woman faces multiple felony charges after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase with drugs in the car.
This happened Saturday, June 27. Officers were dispatched to the parking lot at the Goshen Petco on reports of an unconscious woman in a car. When officers arrived on scene, officials say 32-year-old Kaila Tapia sped away from the scene westbound on County Road 26. Officers say she hit speeds of over 100 miles-per-hour and passed multiple vehicles in the oncoming traffic lane.
Documents say Tapia allegedly drove her car through a home's backyard and into a swing set. Officers say her car stopped there. She allegedly told officers that she ran because she had warrants out for her arrest; investigators later found she had a warrant out of Kosciusko County and three warrants out of Elkhart County.
Documents say officers allegedly found drugs and paraphernalia in her car, including crystal meth, fentanyl, a glass pipe, and a syringe.
Officers also allegedly found several packs of unopened baseball cards. Investigators say she claimed she stole the cards from the South Bend Meijer and was selling them to support her drug habit. She allegedly told police she had been holding onto them for several months due to the person she was selling them to being placed in a Michigan jail.
Officials say officers later found Kaila's driver's license was suspended.
She is due in court July 10.