ROCKINGHAM — A woman is accused of stealing a vehicle, hitting a patrol car and nearly hitting a police officer.
According to the Rockingham Police Department, officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the area of 2008 Fayetteville Road around 1:35 p.m. Saturday, June 1.
Officers reportedly found the vehicle at a nearby house and when one officer approached, the vehicle “backed up at a high rate of speed and almost hit the officer while pulling forward at a high rate of speed.”
The driver allegedly fled the scene but was stopped after a short pursuit on Washington Street Extension. Police say the stolen vehicle struck a department vehicle before the suspects were taken into custody.
Two small children were reportedly found inside the vehicle and the Richmond County Department of Social Services was contacted.
Officers arrested 24-year-old Efransy Unique Nieves and charged were with: three counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and emergency worker; two counts of misdemeanor child abuse; and one count each of larceny of a motor vehicle, felony conspiracy, fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle and misdemeanor property damage.
Police also arrested 35-year-old Dontonee Carelock and charged him with: larceny of a motor vehicle; felony conspiracy; and two counts of misdemeanor child abuse.
Nieves was booked into the Richmond County Jail where she is being held on a $1 million secured bond. Carelock is being held on a $50,000 secured bond. Both are scheduled to appear in court June 13.
Online court records show Nieves has a pending charge of resisting a public officer. She also has multiple traffic infractions from both Richmond and Union counties.
Carelock was previously convicted in 2006 of felony breaking and entering and possession of a stolen vehicle in Union County, according to records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction.
His probation was revoked less than three months after his conviction and he was incarcerated for five months.
Nieves appears to have no prior convictions in the state.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
