23-year-old Cerena Barros of Santa Cruz was arrested early Thursday morning, November 15, for alleged drunk driving after a pursuit by the California Highway Patrol.
According to police reports, Barros was driving under the influence when one of the officers spotted her. She was driving a 2004 Jeep Cherokee when he attempted to pull her over but Barros allegedly continued to drive away. She led the officer on a pursuit throughout San Francisco which ended with a bicyclist in the hospital.
The chase began around 2 a.m. after Barros tried to drive up the Bay Bridge on the 4th Street highway ramp, which was closed at the time for construction. None of the construction workers at the site were injured.
Barros reportedly continued westbound on Interstate 80 and lead the officer on a pursuit onto U.S. Highway 101. The officers tried to get her to exit at Ninth Street but she took an exit off the freeway at Van Ness Avenue and Mission Street onto city streets. She hit a parked car at 15th and Natoma streets which rolled onto a cyclist. The cyclist was taken to the San Francisco General Hospital and was later released after treatment of minor injuries. According to CHP reports, the bicycle’s front tire was damaged.
Barros continued to drive away after hitting the cyclist and ran into another parked car and signal box at 17th Street and South Van Ness Avenue, knocking out signals at the intersection. That basically stopped the car.
Her blood alcohol level was tested which came out to be above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Barros was arrested on multiple charges by the California Highway Patrol and her record reveals that this was her fourth DUI offense. She has been charged with DUI three times before within 10 years, so she faces an enhancement on the DUI charge. She also faces charges of felony hit and run, felony DUI causing injury, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, possessing a controlled substance and evading police.
According to the CHP officer, “Barros showed signs of intoxication and was driving on a suspended license. She was arrested and booked into San Francisco County Jail on eight charges, including suspicion of driving under the influence causing injury, hit and run causing injury, attempting to elude a police officer, and possession of a controlled substance.”
Had she simply pulled over instead of driving away from the police officer, she would not have faced so many charges.
Barros did not sustain any injuries but she was evaluated at San Francisco General Hospital.
She remained in custody Thursday afternoon on $226,000 bail.
