Woman arrested after allegedly taking off with Visalia bus, crashing into 3 cars
56-year-old Annette Rocha is facing charges including robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and hit-and-run.
VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A terrifying ride for passengers on a Tulare County Area transit bus.
Visalia police say a woman carjacked the bus and crashed into cars and a fence.
It all started around 1:30 on Monday afternoon on Court Street near Murray Avenue.
Officers say 56-year-old Annette Rocha began hitting a male passenger and took his cell phone.
The bus driver then pulled over to evacuate the bus and try to stop the suspect.
That's when police say Rocha got into the driver's seat and took off with people still on board.
The bus hit at least three cars, causing minor injuries to the passengers.
It finally came to a stop after slamming into a fence.
Authorities say Rocha then armed herself with a small pipe, but officers convinced her to surrender.
She's in the process of being booked into jail on charges including robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and hit-and-run.
