According to court records on Saturday, June 6th, 2020, around 10:20pm, Mahanoy City Patrolman Thomas Rentschler was dispatched to the area of South 11th Street and East Market Streets for a reported disturbance.
As police arrived, they found a blue Hyundai bearing New York Registration sitting in front of 1026 East Market Street. Police observed a female inside the vehicle, identified as Johanna Rodriguez arguing and yelling at a Kimberly Ramos on the porch of the residence. Police were familiar with the pair due to them having an argument in the 200 Block of East Centre Street not even an hour before this incident.
As police exited their patrol vehicle, Rodriguez began to drive away and police order her to stop due prior knowledge of her having a suspended drivers license.
At this point, Rodriguez sped of West on East Market Street.
Officer Rentschler pursued as Rodriguez travelled on South 10th Street, to East Pine, to South 12th, back to East Market. Rodriguez made numerous traffic violations failing to stop at all stop signs while being pursued.
At this point, Officer Gallo of the Mahanoy City Police arrived and was able to position his vehicle on East Market Street forcing Rodriguez to the left side of the road where she struck the police vehicle. Officer Rentschler was then able to position his patrol vehicle from behind and box in Rodriguez.
At this point Rodriguez was taken into custody where she was found to emit a strong odor of alcohol along with slurring speech as she talked.
Rodriguez refused to submit to a blood test but a check of the vehicle she was driving was found to have an inspection that expired in April of 2018, with no insurance, and the New York registration on the vehicle was found to have belonged to a different vehicle under a different name.
Rodriguez was charged by Officer Rentschler with fleeing and eluding police, driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, improper registration documents of the vehicle, driving with a suspended driver's license, operating a vehicle without proper financial responsibility paperwork, operating a vehicle without valid inspection, careless driving, reckless driving, 3 counts of not stopping at a stop signs, 4 counts of turning without required signaling, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Rodriguez was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Ferrier and locked up in Schuylkill County Prison on $5,000 straight cash bail.
She later posted bail on Sunday and was released.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 16th, 2020 before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker.