San Jose pair arrested after stolen car crashes into tree
MILPITAS » A man and woman from San Jose were arrested after their shortlived attempt to flee Milpitas police in stolen car ended with a crash into a tree, authorities said.
According to police, an officer was patrolling the area of Vegas Avenue when he came across a gold 1997 Honda Accord, and he ran a routine license- plate check on the vehicle. The lookup determined that the Accord was reported stolen in San Jose, so the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the car.
But the Accord sped away, police said, and ran through a stop sign at Arizona Avenue and Dixon Road. Moments later, the fleeing driver lost control, hit a street sign then a tree, and the car became inoperable.
Two people inside the Accord ditched the car and ran off, police said. The driver, identified as 23-year- old Michelle Rodriguez, was caught after a short foot chase. The passenger, 29-year- old Rudy Michael Cordero, was arrested after being tracked to a nearby parking lot.
Police say Rodriguez initially gave officers a fake name, but they eventually determined her actual identity and learned that she was on probation for a drug conviction, and had two warrants issued for her arrest for alleged auto- theft and drug offenses.
Rodriguez is being held without bail in the Elmwood women’s jail on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle, possessing stolen property, auto theft with a prior conviction, providing a false name to police and resisting arrest, as well as the outstanding warrants. Cordero was booked on suspicion of possessing stolen property and resisting arrest.