FORT WAYNE — A Decatur woman is facing multiple felony charges after police say she slipped into a Fort Wayne Police Department patrol vehicle and sped away, leading to a brief but dangerous pursuit that ended in a crash Monday afternoon.
According to information released by WPTA and court documents reviewed by investigators, 36‑year‑old Samantha Huffine had initially been detained on Columbia Avenue after officers responded to a report of an unwanted person. Police say she was released at the scene — but moments later, she allegedly climbed into a marked patrol car through the driver’s door and took off.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but investigators say Huffine drove “recklessly” and at a “high rate of speed” before colliding with another car. The woman in the struck vehicle suffered minor injuries to her abdomen and legs, according to the report.
Huffine was arrested and booked into the Allen County Jail. She is charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, auto theft, and resisting law enforcement with a vehicle.
She is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Wednesday.
The incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department.
(This report is based on information published by WPTA/21Alive and publicly available court records.)