CHP officers rescue kids from burning car

California Highway Patrol officers from Marin and Sonoma counties rescued two young children from the back of a burning vehicle driven by their mother over the weekend.

Laura Anntoni Corral-Jones, 23, of Rohnert Park, was arrested on suspicion of DUI and child endangerment after a pursuit by officers from San Rafael to Cotati. She is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning in Marin County Superior Court.

Marin CHP Officers Daniel Russo and Daniel Mitchell tried to stop Corral-Jones’ 1990s-era Buick for tailgating and speeding around 11:40 p.m.

Friday on northbound U.S. Highway 101 at North San Pedro Road, CHP Officer Patrick Roth said.

At one point, Jones pulled onto the shoulder and the slow lane of the highway but accelerated and continued driving north between 30 and 70 mph, Roth said.

CHP officers in Sonoma County laid spike stripes in the East Washington Street area of Petaluma and further north that flattened all of the Buick’s tires, Roth said.

Corral-Jones kept driving north on the Cotati grade of the highway until Sonoma County CHP officers stopped her car with a maneuver that forced it to stop, Roth said.

Corral-Jones kept spinning the car’s wheels and sparks from the right rear wheel spinning on its brake drum started the right side of the car on fire, according to Roth.

Mitchell, Russo and Sonoma County CHP Officer Matthew Barawet and Sgt. Jason Bahlman broke the rear windows of the Buick and removed the two girls, ages 1 and 5, from the back seat of the car. Firefighters from the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District responded and put out the fire, Roth said.

Jones was determined to be under the influence of a drug and was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI, felony child endangerment, felony evading and misdemeanor resisting a police officer, Roth said.

She is being held under $35,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Marin County Superior Court on Tuesday morning, Roth said. The Sonoma County CHP officers took the children.

Roth said Mitchell attributed the quick thinking and team effort of the officers with saving the children.