Amador County – An Ione woman in custody and wearing handcuffs squeezed through a vent window and stole a Jackson Police car early Saturday morning, then led authorities on a 15-minute pursuit before the vehicle was stopped with spike strips, and forced into a ditch by another JPD vehicle in Calaveras County.

Jackson Police Captain Christy Stidger on Tuesday announced the arrest of Mary Bristow, 20, and her brother, David Bristow, 21, of Ione on various charges.

Mary Bristow was arrested for evading, stealing a vehicle, escape from custody and obstructing or resisting a peace officer. David Bristow was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

The Bristows were initially detained about 12:30 a.m. Saturday when JPD officers investigated a suspicious vehicle parked at the south end of the Jackson Gate Plaza and discovered them in a 1991 white Chevy pickup truck.

Stidger said the “officers became aware of a handgun in the cab of the vehicle” and “extracted both of the occupants from the vehicle.” The gun was “later determined to be a plastic replica.”

Stidger said “Mary Bristow was handcuffed and placed in the back seat of a Jackson patrol vehicle. While officers continued their investigation, David Bristow began to choke on what officers believed to be illegal drugs.”

She said “while officers were tending to David Bristow, Mary Bristow was able to maneuver her handcuffed hands from behind her back to her front. Mary Bristow then crawled through an approximately 9-inch by 9-inch ventilation opening, in the partition that closes off the backseat from the driver’s area of the patrol vehicle.”

Driving away in the patrol vehicle, Mary Bristow led authorities on a 15-minute pursuit, involving JPD, Amador County Sheriff’s Department, Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department, and California Highway Patrol officers from Amador and Calaveras counties. Stidger said: “During the course of the pursuit, Mary Bristow utilized the police radio, taunting pursuing law enforcement.”

“The pursuit ended in Calaveras County at the intersection of highways 49 and 12, when spike strips set up by the Calaveras CHP were deployed.” The “spike strips damaged the tires to the stolen police vehicle,” but Mary Bristow continued driving, although at “considerably lower speeds. This allowed Jackson Police Officer Jeff Courtney to perform a Pursuit Intervention Technique maneuver on the stolen vehicle, causing it to spin out of control and into a ditch.”

After the stolen vehicle was in the ditch, Jackson K9 officer Al Lewis and his canine partner, Condor, were deployed on the vehicle. Stidger said that Mary Bristow, knowing the canine was being deployed, surrendered, requesting that he not “let the dog get her.”

Both Mary and David Bristow were treated at Sutter Amador Hospital and booked into the Amador County Jail.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.