A woman has been arrested for allegedly causing a crash that killed a police officer and retired firefighter and then lying about having been kidnapped, according to authorities.
Jeannine Jaramillo, 46, of New Mexico, was being pursued by authorities on Wednesday as she was traveling the wrong way on the interstate. The pursuit resulted in a crash of her car, the police car, and two bystander vehicles, according to a press release.
Santa Fe officer Robert Duran, 43, was pursuing the vehicle Jaramillo was in, and Duran was killed along with Frank Lovato, 62, in the crash. Lovato was a retired firefighter driving his pickup truck and not a part of the pursuit. The driver of the other vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Jaramillo had initially said that she was carjacked at knifepoint, leading to the pursuit. As a result of the crash, she suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was released after being treated at a hospital, a release said.
However, New Mexico State Police said in a press release that she was arrested on Saturday, with evidence showing that she was the only driver of the stolen vehicle involved in the crash, going against her story that she was kidnapped.
New Mexico State Police Deputy Chief Carolyn Huynh spoke about the incident and said Jaramillo's actions will have "lasting consequences."
"She caused a senseless tragedy that has impacted the community of Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and all of New Mexico, and the pain her actions have caused will not be alleviated by this arrest alone," Huynh said, KRQE-TV reported.
Jaramillo is now facing two counts of first-degree murder and charges of reckless homicide by vehicle, receiving and transferring a stolen vehicle, and tampering with evidence, according to the Santa Fe District Attorney's office.
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