The woman who led police on a wild chase that ended in a multi-vehicle crash on the 405 Freeway last week in west Los Angeles has been identified, the District Attorney’s office announced.
Lisa Ann Heflin, 41, faces charges including 10 counts of assault on a peace officer, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving in a pursuit and hit-and-run in connection with the chase of the may 17th. She pleaded not guilty to those charges during her arraignment Wednesday.
The chase began around 4:30 a.m. last Friday after the LAPD Pacific Division responded to a report of a disturbance in a Venice neighborhood. A resident told NBC4 that the woman, whom the resident described as homeless, was yelling all night outside an apartment complex and harassing neighbors.
Upon arrival, officers encountered Heflin, who was the focus of the report. When law enforcement attempted to approach the woman, she entered a white van, crashed into a police car and fled.
The approximately 30-minute high-speed chase passed through several cities before Heflin traveled on the northbound 405 Freeway in the wrong direction. The chaos ended when the driver crashed head-on at high speed into two cars and a large truck stopped in a freeway traffic stop near Wilshire Boulevard.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, five police vehicles, a large truck and two civilian vehicles were damaged during the chase. None of the victims “suffered significant injuries,” the district attorney’s office said.
Heflin faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and 8 months in prison. His bail has been set at $695,000.
It is unclear if Heflin has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. His next court date is scheduled for June 20.
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