The lady who led cops on a ‘marathon’ 110 mph automotive chase earlier than driving into the ocean and abandoning her two canine in her sinking BMW, was jailed Wednesday by a decide who referred her case to a psychological well being courtroom in Los Angeles.
However Jessica Reynolds’s keep behind bars will solely final till household or pals submit the $50,000 bail set by LA Superior Courtroom Choose Rob Villeza to safe her freedom till her subsequent courtroom look in two weeks.
Reynolds, 39, whose lawyer described the weird incident as a ‘psychotic episode’, was videotaped by horrified beachgoers March 16 as she raced her silver BMW SUV over the sand and into the Pacific Ocean at Venice Seaside.
She then jumped out of the automotive and plunged into the chilly waves, leaving her two small Boston terriers – Insurgent and Jewel – inside.
In a scene that seemed like a Hollywood motion film, she swam ‘a number of hundred yards’ earlier than being rescued by a Los Angeles Sheriff’s boat and after being introduced again to shore, she was arrested, taken to a hospital and positioned on a psychiatric maintain.
Jessica Reynolds, the girl who led cops on a ‘marathon’ 110 mph automotive chase earlier than driving into the ocean and abandoning her two canine in her sinking BMW, was jailed Wednesday by a decide who referred her case to a psychological well being courtroom in Los Angeles
Reynolds, 39, whose lawyer described the weird incident as a ‘psychotic episode’, was videotaped by horrified beachgoers March 16 as she raced her silver BMW SUV over the sand and into the Pacific Ocean at Venice Seaside
In a scene that seemed like a Hollywood motion film, she swam ‘a number of hundred yards’ earlier than being rescued by a Los Angeles Sheriff’s boat and after being introduced again to shore, she was arrested, taken to a hospital and positioned on a psychiatric maintain
Video footage confirmed the dramatic second authorities approached the submerged car holding flashlights whereas searching for every other passengers, solely to search out the 2 terrified canine, which have been rescued and handed over to Animal Management.
Final month Reynolds was charged with one felony depend of evading police whereas disregarding security and two of animal cruelty. She may resist three years in jail if convicted.
On Wednesday, at her arraignment in El Monte, 15 miles east of LA, redhead Reynolds – wearing a cream shirt with black polka dots, black skin-tight pants and black excessive heels – pleaded not responsible to all three prices.
However Choose Villeza put aside her arraignment and never responsible pleas, suspended ‘all prison proceedings’ and ordered her to look July 10 at Hollywood Psychological Well being Courtroom after listening to that Reynolds has ‘severe’ and ‘unpredictable’ psychological well being points that require ‘additional analysis.’
Earlier than Reynolds was handcuffed and led away to jail to await her bail posting, her lawyer, Alan Gonzalez, advised the courtroom, ’She was having a psychotic episode.
’She did drive her automotive into the ocean. You possibly can interpret this as a cry for assist. No-one was injured….and the canine have been rescued.’
Gonzalez mentioned that earlier than the incident, Reynolds had been in a ‘poisonous relationship’ involving medication and she or he had gone by a divorce by which she had misplaced custody of her little one.
However since March 16, she’s been on medicine, he added. She’s additionally moved to Oregon the place she checked herself right into a Christian residential rehab facility and has a $22-an-hour job at a warehouse.
Throughout the wild police chase, Reynolds jumped out of the automotive and plunged into the chilly waves, leaving her two small Boston terriers – Insurgent and Jewel – inside. They have been taken in by Animal Management
The canine have been rescued by first responders on the scene after the ‘marathon’ police chase ended with Reynold’s BMW plunging into the ocean with the pets nonetheless inside
Video footage confirmed the dramatic second authorities approached the submerged car holding flashlights whereas searching for every other passengers, solely to search out the 2 terrified canine, which have been rescued and handed over to Animal Management
Prosecutor Larry Holcomb requested for Reynolds’ bail to be set at $225,000, which Gonzalez referred to as an ‘terribly harsh monetary burden’. And he mentioned, ’She doesn’t current a flight danger.’
Choose Villeza took concern with that assertion after listening to from Holcomb that in her 40-mile plus flight from police, Reynold drove at ‘100mph and 110mph’ on a number of freeways earlier than crashing into the ocean.
’Saying she just isn’t a flight danger is opposite to the details,’ mentioned the decide who referred to as prosecutors’ accusations ‘egregious and extreme.’
’She led police on a marathon pursuit.’
Choose Villeza determined to set Reynolds’ bail at $50,000 and ship her case to Hollywood Psychological Well being Courtroom after studying experiences on her psychological situation despatched to courtroom by the Oregon rehab facility she has been dwelling at.
He ordered these experiences to be sealed.
The wacky collection of occasions that led to Reynolds’s arrest began late at night time on March 15 in El Monte the place police tried to drag her over for rushing.
As an alternative of stopping, cops say Reynolds – who has a number of current convictions for rushing and fleeing police in her native New Mexico, DailyMail.com has discovered – took off.
Heading west she finally hit Washington Boulevard in Venice, which dead-ends close to the Venice pier, and drove straight into the ocean simply a few minutes after midnight.
Final month Reynolds was charged with one felony depend of evading police whereas disregarding security and two of cruelty to an animal. She may resist three years in jail if convicted
’She led police on a marathon pursuit’, Choose Villeza mentioned of the crazed incident
Reynolds was taken from the scene in an ambulance. Choose Villeza determined to set her bail at $50,000 and ship her case to Hollywood Psychological Well being Courtroom after studying experiences on her psychological situation despatched to courtroom by the Oregon rehab facility she has been dwelling at
After opening the motive force’s door Reynolds frantically tried to swim away from cops until the rescue boat tossed her a flotation donut which she was capable of seize to get aboard safely.
The rescuers managed to save lots of the 2 year-old Boston Terriers earlier than the SUV was dragged away by the present, in line with a police report.
The following morning, beachgoers unaware of the incident arrived to discover a automotive being towed from the water up onto the land.
The entrance window was shattered and lumps of sand may very well be seen in the back and front seat. Skid marks within the sand may be seen.
When DailyMail.com spoke to Reynolds’s ex-husband, Michael Hufstedler, 44, he revealed that simply final July, the 2 had finalized a messy, long-drawn-out divorce by which he was awarded sole custody of their 12-year-old son.
‘We have been completely in love. I believed I would discovered the girl of my life,’ mentioned Hufstedler, who used to run an actual property appraisal agency with Reynolds in Alto, New Mexico.
‘She cheated on me with one of many those that labored for me. Then she threatened to commit suicide. I reside in a distinct state now, I’ve retreated completely.’
Hufstedler added that the 2 canine concerned within the incident are his although there was no point out of who ought to preserve the animals after the divorce.
The wacky collection of occasions that led to Reynolds’s arrest began late at night time on March 15 in El Monte the place police tried to drag her over for rushing
The rescuers managed to save lots of the 2 year-old Boston Terriers earlier than the SUV was dragged away by the present, in line with a police report
Earlier than Reynolds was handcuffed and led away to jail to await her bail posting, her lawyer, Alan Gonzalez, advised the courtroom Wednesday, ’She was having a psychotic episode’.
As for Reynolds’s prior run-ins with the regulation in New Mexico, in October 2019 she pleaded no contest to a prison rushing cost of greater than 30mph over the restrict. The case was deferred and dismissed, in line with courtroom information.
She pleaded no contest to a September 2020 cost of resisting an officer, which was once more deferred and dismissed – although the courtroom later issued a warrant for her arrest after she did not pay her nice and costs.
Reynolds pleaded responsible to rushing 16-20 mph over the restrict, with no proof of insurance coverage in November final 12 months. Once more, the fees have been deferred and dismissed.
One other warrant was issued in December final 12 months after she failed to point out up for a courtroom listening to, however by January she had met all her authorized obligations, in line with the docket.
Reynolds was additionally charged final November with careless driving and ‘leaving the scene of an accident involving harm to a car’. However in line with courtroom information, she has not but entered a plea in that case.
