Suspect in wild U-Haul chase is named

Authorities released a suspect's name and provided more details about Wednesday's rush-hour U-Haul chase that started in Palmdale, wound through downtown Los Angeles, the Westside and Malibu before ending in Ventura County.

After a televised pursuit that involved officers with the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department and air support, Alisha Nichole Mankin was arrested and charged with being under the influence of a narcotic, possession of a stolen vehicle, felony evading, and three counts of hit-and-run, CHP Officer Matt Winter said.

Mankin had two outstanding warrants, including a DUI. Mankin, a resident of the Antelope Valley community of Littlerock, and a friend left a storage facility in the rented truck at about 3 p.m. and had stopped by a car on the side of the road  when a sheriff's deputy, alerted of a suspicious-looking vehicle, approached the two, Winter said.

"The guy is in possession of narcotics and he’s arrested," Winter said. "As the deputy is putting him into his cruiser, she decides to take off running. She gets into the U-Haul because the keys are in it and takes off."

The chase ended on California 118 near Mesa Union School in Somis, where the vehicle ran out of gas at about 5:15 p.m. She jumped from the truck, failed in her attempt to get into another car, then sprinted down the road, where she was eventually caught by CHP officers.

No injuries were reported, but at least three traffic accidents were caused by Mankin’s erratic driving, Winter said.

-- Corina Knoll

Photo: A close-up of the driver during pursuit. Credit: Hans Laetz. Video: KTLA

Comments

[JohnW]

Fox news showed it on TV here in MD !!

A Coworker /friend of mine would flip out (work drove him insane LOL)
and would get hospitalized every 3 years or so. Post retirement (20 yrs ago) he's never had a relapse.

He was shown on TV in Baltimore backing up on a school field to ram a police car. A bike was on the back of his car at the time. Then he took off, successfully eluding the police, and got out of town scott free.

For unexplained reasons he then turned around and drove back into Baltimore
where he was promptly arrested. Outcome of the case was he got
recomitted to the loony farm for psychatric observation.

[DJKaiba]

I am in agreement with eye in the sky. You guys need to think things through. The cops were plenty worried about what may happen with other pedestrians around I am sure of this. Let's put some logic into play here though. You have a uhaul that has not been inspected driving at high speeds down the roads. Let's say they did put up a police car blockade. What happense with a desperate woman fleeing on narcatics? Big car vs little car money is always on big car. Shooting out the tires or doing something else to cause this car to flip or wreck or whatever, well this is where you must consider what's in the back of the truck. Yes I know it was empty but that wasn't known till she was caught. There could have been explosives in there. Think of that? That would cause a lot more damage than what was caused and result in actual deaths too. I think they were risking things with the spike strips but hey at least they were trying to do something about her. Stop bashing on the police for doing their jobs and thinking logicaly.