Woman sprays Santa Rosa police officers with glitter after car chase

A woman who showered Santa Rosa police officers and cars driving by on Highway 101 with glitter was arrested Wednesday after leading authorities on a car chase that reached speeds of 80 mph.

Aura Palma, a 42-year-old homeless woman, was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on felony charges of reckless evading and driving a vehicle without the consent of the owner, Santa Rosa police said in a news release.

The incident began around 11 a.m. Wednesday, when police received a report that a vehicle trailer had been stolen. The caller, a manager at a rental company in Santa Rosa, saw the open bed utility trailer being towed by a pickup truck near the intersection of Piner Road and Airway Drive and began following it, police said.

The suspect, later identified as Palma, drove through Santa Rosa streets until police caught up with her. Officers approached the car from behind as Palma drove onto southbound Highway 101 at Steele Lane, police said. They attempted to stop her, but Palma refused to pull over, prompting officers to initiate a pursuit.

During the chase, cargo and debris from the trailer bed and back of the pick-up truck fell onto the highway. A cargo dolly fell out of the bed of the pick-up, and became lodged under the trailer before Palma stopped the car north of Todd Road, police said.

Palma exited the truck holding a cordless blower motor, which was packed with glitter. When she started the blower, a cloud of glitter showered down on officers and cars driving south on the highway, police said. Officers took Palma into custody without further incident.