www.news.com.au Open in urlscan Pro
95.100.248.90 Public Scan

Back to summary

URL:
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/wtf/woman-hijacks-police-car-and-takes-officers-on-a-wild-highspeed-chase/ne...
Submission: On September 07 via manual (September 7th 2017, 10:37:02 pm UTC) from US

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM

http://news.com.au/search-results

<form id="search-box" class="search-box" action="http://news.com.au/search-results"><label>
    <div class="search-input"><input placeholder="Search news.com.au" type="text" name="q" title="search" autocomplete="off"></div>
  </label><button type="submit" value="Search">Search</button></form>

POST

<form id="join-form" method="post"><input id="join-email" type="email" placeholder="join our mailing list" name="join-email">
  <submit type="submit" name="submit" id="join-submit">JOIN</submit>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to:Main ContentSite NavigationSite footerSite Map
* Hipages
* Fox Sports
* SEEK
* Carsales
* RealEstate
* News Network

news.com.au

News.com.au
* * National
* World
* Lifestyle
* Travel
* Entertainment
* Technology
* Finance
* Sport
* Search

* real life

* WTF

WOMAN HIJACKS POLICE CAR AND TAKES OFFICERS ON A WILD HIGH-SPEED CHASE

THIS woman clearly wasn’t quite done when she was arrested for shoplifting. She
slipped her handcuffs, stole a cop car and cops a run for their money.

Kirrily Schwarz
news.com.auSeptember 7, 20177:38pm
* Video
* Image

Play

Mute
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 2:32
Loaded: 0%

Progress: 0%
00:15
Stream TypeLIVE
Remaining Time -2:32

Playback Rate
1
* Chapters

Chapters
* descriptions off, selected

Descriptions
* subtitles off, selected

Subtitles
* captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
* captions off, selected

Captions
* default, selected

Audio Track
Fullscreen

This is a modal window.

Play

Mute
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration Time 0:00
Loaded: 0%

Progress: 0%
Stream TypeLIVE
Remaining Time -0:00

Playback Rate
1
Fullscreen
Caption Settings Dialog
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque
Font Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%
Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadow
Font FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional
SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall Caps
DefaultsDone
0
Autoplay

WOMAN HIJACKS POLICE CAR2:31

Captive takes police on a wild high-speed chase in Texas after she escaped from
handcuffs and stole a police car. Video: Lufkin Police Department

* September 7th 2017
* 21 hours ago
* /display/newscorpaustralia.com/Web/NewsNetwork/Network News/World/

The 33-year-old had a good look around before springing into action. Picture:
Lufkin Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

Ads by Kiosked

MOST accused shoplifters would call it quits when they got busted, but Toscha
Sponsler isn’t one of them.

The 33-year-old was arrested in Texas over the weekend after she was found with
a bag full of allegedly stolen goods. She was handcuffed, and buckled into a
patrol car.

“The officer left the partition open to allow her to receive more air
conditioning in the back seat, and also speak with her through the course of the
investigation,” said a post on the Lufkin Police Department’s Facebook page.

For Toscha, it was - quite literally - a window of opportunity.

Toscha was arrested and handcuffed for allegedly shoplifting in Texas. Picture:
Lufkin Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

She took no time at all to unbuckle herself and slip the restraints. Picture:
Lufkin Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

While they sorted through her bag outside the car, Toscha managed to undo her
seatbelt and wriggle her way out of the handcuffs.

She then took just 20 seconds to contort herself through the 30-centimetre gap
into the driver’s seat, and incredibly, no-one noticed.

Officers were stunned to hear the engine fire up.

“God dang,” one of the officers shouted, desperately grabbing at the door.

Footage from his body camera shows that while he managed to get the door open,
he was unable to jump inside as Toscha gunned the vehicle out of the car park.

Police say she led officers on a 23-minute chase through the surrounding
countryside, weaving all over the road and reaching speeds up to 160km/h.

The 33-year-old had a good look around before springing into action. Picture:
Lufkin Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

She took just 20 seconds to wriggle through the 30-centimetre gap. Picture:
Lufkin Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

Dashcam video shows a number of near misses with other police cars, and a wild
swerve as she drove into a ditch to avoid a device intended to puncture her
tyres.

Eventually an officer was able to cut her off using a PIT manoeuvre, a
high-speed technique that forces the car in front to turn sideways and spin out
of control.

At least two officers jumped out of their cars and drew their weapons as she
recovered from the abrupt stop, while a third smashed the driver’s window.

According to the Facebook post, Toscha was taken to the Angelica County Jail and
is currently imprisoned on a $22,500 bond.

Officers grabbed at the door, but couldn’t stop her as she drove away. Picture:
Lufkin Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

The wild chase lasted 23 minutes and hit speeds up to 160km/h. Picture: Lufkin
Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

“Sponsler is charged with escape causing serious bodily injury/threat of a
deadly weapon, aggravated assault against a public servant, possession of a
controlled substance, evading arrest with a vehicle with a previous conviction
and unauthorised use of a vehicle,” the caption read. “Additional charges are
pending. We’re still determining where all of the stolen items came from.”

While they’re figuring that out, they’ve wasted no time installing new window
partitions in all marked cars that only open 10 centimetres.

They certainly won't make that mistake again.

“Fool me once, shame on you me. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Picture: Lufkin
Police DepartmentSource:Facebook

TRENDING IN LIFESTYLE

* 1085

Woman on a first date who got trapped after throwing her poo...
* 510

Berlei bra ad banned from Facebook: Full Video
* 480

Connie Johnson gets Order of Australia while in her hospice ...
* 467

Gay marriage in Australia: Brisbane protest turns violent
* 210

Gay marriage in Australia: High Court confirms postal vote c...
* 176

Gay marriage: How to vote and the deadline for Australian po...
* 140

Transgender woman to sell ‘virginity’ to pay for sex change
* 123

Second set of identical twins: Sydney woman Sophia Brown now...
* 94

Kim Kardashian wears latex dress in New York
* 75

Gay marriage: New ‘yes’ ad hopes to sway ‘no’ voters in Aust...

* Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook
* Share on Twitter

Share on Twitter
* Share via Email

Share via Email

www.news.com.au Open in urlscan Pro 95.100.248.90 Public Scan

Form analysis 2 forms found in the DOM

http://news.com.au/search-results

POST

Text Content

www.news.com.au Open in urlscan Pro
95.100.248.90 Public Scan

Form analysis
2 forms found in the DOM