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PAROWAN, Iron County — A woman was arrested Thursday following a chase after police say she took her two noncustodial children from Oklahoma and was livestreaming herself driving on I-15 in southern Utah.
The incident began early Thursday when police in Utah received a report of two children who were taken in Oklahoma by their mother, who did not have custody of them, and were possibly headed to California. The children's father called to say Audrey Ripptoe, 31, "was livestreaming (on) Facebook while driving northbound on I-15 in Iron County," according to a police affidavit.
A Parowan police officer spotted Ripptoe's vehicle and attempted to pull her over, but she refused and continued driving with speeds ranging from 60 mph to 90 mph, the affidavit states.
After following the vehicle for about 30 miles, police were able to spike one of Ripptoe's tires before boxing her in with other vehicles and taking her into custody.
She was booked into the Iron County Jail for investigation of two counts of child abuse, failing to stop at the command of police, two counts of reckless endangerment, and a traffic infraction.
