The woman who led police on a wild pursuit that ended in a multi-vehicle crash on the 405 Freeway last week in West Los Angeles has been identified, the District Attorney's office announced.
Lisa Ann Heflin, 41, faces charges that include 10 counts of assault on a peace officer, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon, driving recklessly in a pursuit and hit-and-run driving in connection with the May 17 chase. She pleaded not guilty to those charges during her arraignment on Wednesday.
The chase began around 4:30 a.m. last Friday after LAPD's Pacific Division responded to a report of a disturbance in a Venice neighborhood. A resident told NBC4 that the woman, whom the resident described as unhoused, was screaming throughout the night outside an apartment complex and harassing neighbors.
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Upon arrival, officers encountered Heflin, who was the focus of the report. As law enforcement tried to approach the woman, she went into a white van, rammed into a police car and took off.
The roughly 30-minute high-speed chase went through several cities before Heflin traveled on the northbound 405 Freeway on the wrong way. The chaos ended when the driver crashed head-on at high speed into two cars and a big rig stopped for a freeway traffic break near Wilshire Boulevard.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, five police vehicles, a big rig and two civilian vehicles were damaged during the pursuit. None of the victims "sustained significant injuries," the DA's office said.
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Heflin faces a maximum sentence of 22 years and 8 months in prison. Her bail has been set to $695,000.
It is unclear if Heflin has an attorney who can speak on her behalf. Her next court date is scheduled for June 20.
