A 32-year-old South Lake Tahoe woman was booked Thursday into Carson City Jail after being extradited from California where she faces felony and gross misdemeanor charges of eluding police and endangerment related to a Jan. 12 police chase that began in Carson City, ended in South Lake Tahoe and injured two Carson City sheriff's office deputies.
Samantha Rose Randazzo is being held on $20,000 bail. Her court arraignment is March 4, 9 a.m. in Carson City. Randazzo allegedly rammed a patrol vehicle and then refused to get out of the SUV she was driving. A deputy suffered injuries to his hand when he broke through the passenger side window to unlock the door. The other deputy was treated and released for injuries after the woman slammed into his patrol vehicle with her SUV.
According to arrest reports filed in Carson City and South Lake Tahoe, the Jan. 12 chase began on South Carson Street near Carson Station. A deputy attempted to pull Randazzo over for driving erratically and suspecting she was under the influence. Randazzo instead continued driving south on Carson Street and then westbound onto Highway 50 over Spooner Summit.
Officers in the pursuit said she traveled at a speed of around 55 mph in town and 70 mph up Spooner through light traffic. Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Nevada Highway Patrol also were involved in the pursuit.
Because of traffic in the South Lake Tahoe area, Randazzo was forced to reduce her speed to 35 mph to 40 mph. According to Sgt. Shannon Laney of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Randazzo hit about 50 mph as she went through the intersection of Highway 50 and Ski Run Boulevard.
The chase finally ended with an arrest at the corner of Highway 50 and Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Tallac Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. The vehicle was stopped after it rammed the Carson City patrol officer's vehicle.