Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have apprehended Michelle Breann Bartholomew, 26, who now faces charges for reportedly striking a police patrol vehicle with her car, accelerating towards a second patrol vehicle, and fleeing the scene with children in the vehicle.
Around 6:44 a.m. on July 4th, deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office responded to an emergency call. The caller reported a woman in a white car attempting to run over a man at the Tower Oaks Glen Apartments.
Upon arrival, two deputies found Bartholomew in the parking lot, seated in a white sedan. When they parked nearby, Bartholomew allegedly accelerated and collided with the front passenger door of their patrol car. Subsequently, she is accused of driving toward a second patrol car, prompting the deputy to swiftly maneuver out of harm’s way.
A pursuing deputy activated his lights and sirens, initiating a traffic stop, but Bartholomew’s vehicle sped off, reportedly exceeding the speed limit and ignoring several traffic signals. The chase was terminated near NW 8th Avenue and NW 34th Street, with a deputy observing the sedan subsequently turning north onto NW 31st Terrace.
Deputies noted that the sedan was driven by a “heavy build black female,” and two young children were seen in the sedan during the pursuit.
Deputies later found the same woman walking with two children in the 2000 block of NW 34th Street, and she reportedly attempted to jump off a bridge when she saw deputies, but deputies held her back and detained her.
Bartholomew allegedly refused to identify herself.
When deputies located the white sedan, they noted that there were no car seats for the children, who are 5 and 8 years old and “small in stature.”
Bartholomew has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing, and two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm. She has no local criminal history, and Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $100,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.