110 mph chase on I-95 with child in car leads to female driver’s arrest
October 7th, 2009 by TCPalm.comBy Elliott Jones
TCPalm.com
VERO BEACH — A 25-year-old New York woman faces seven charges, including child endangerment, after eluding law enforcement at high speeds for 10 miles on Interstate 95 on Tuesday in the early afternoon, reports show.
Maria “Zion Christ” Roberts drove her white van in excess of 110 mph from northern St. Lucie County to Indian River County while going in and out of traffic.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers broke off the pursuit in northern St. Lucie County when the van starting losing control while passing on the grass median, almost striking a vehicle, reports show.
She then allegedly struck a Indian River County Sheriff’s Office patrol car that attempted to stop her at State Road 60.
Roberts continued up I-95, with patrol cars in pursuit, and made a U-turn in the median and began going north in southbound lanes.
Deputies then threw tire puncture devices on the highway to deflate her tires and stop her vehicle.
Finally the van lost control and deputies arrested her at 2:14 p.m. near the Sebastian exit.
Initially she called herself “Zion Christ.” Later she was identified as Maria Roberts, of Flushing, N.Y.
She is being held in the Indian River County Jail under $45,000 bail on charges of two counts of felony fleeing and two counts of reckless driving, battery on a law enforcement officer, child abuse and obstruction of justice by giving a false name.
An unrestrained 7-year-old girl was found in the van’s floor. The child was treated at the Sebastian River Medical Center and then turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Authorities have not released the name of the child.
Roberts was subdued during her arraignment before Circuit Judge Robert Pegg on Wednesday. When Pegg asked how she supported herself, she replied she got money from God.
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October 7th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
LAY OFF THE CRACK PEOPLE!!!
October 7th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Season must be starting…
October 7th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
The VAN lost control? Or did SHE lose control of the van??
You staff writers just do such a shit job, it’s a wonder how you stay employed for a newspaper.
Someone should put a bullet into this dumb wench for endangering so many lives–it’s too bad the sheriff’s deputies couldn’t find an excuse to end this piece of shit.