The defense for a woman arrested on Tuesday following an alleged carjacking that ended in a crash in Lynn, Massachusetts, said she had no idea she was in a stolen car and only ran after the crash because she has other open cases and wanted to avoid a negative interaction with police.
According to police, 22-year-old Leanna Rockwood was the passenger in a stolen car Tuesday morning that crashed — sending one woman to the hospital. The driver of the car was allegedly a teenager from Haverhill who is part of the Trinitarios Gang.
Authorities said that the car was actually stolen Monday night at gunpoint, but the next morning, when they approached it, officers said the teenager and Rockwood drove off. Then, the violent crash happened on Chestnut and Essex Streets.
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Rockwood told detectives she had been picked up by the teen earlier that morning and asked him to pull over once she noticed the police lights.
Rockwood and the teen then allegedly tried to run away, but they were arrested at gunpoint moments later. She has been charged with receiving a stolen vehicle, disorderly conduct and drug charges, which police say stem from a black bag officers found inside the stolen vehicle.
“They opened a smaller pocket inside of that case and observed a small plastic twist containing a substance that they believed to be crack cocaine," prosecutors said in court Wednesday.
Her defense stressed that she was not driving during the crash, which injured three people: Maurice Cody, who ducked as the cars barreled towards him, an employee from Tony Tipico and 42-year-old Amber Fournier, who is still recovering in the hospital.
“She was not the driver she was not the one that was speeding through the streets of Lynn," her attorney said.
One eyewitness saw the whole thing happen.
“It was scary, especially when you come out the door and you see a car in the middle of the street upside down," George Huggins said. "I think she broke her leg I don’t know cause her leg was all bruised up and swollen.”
The teenager faces 10 total charges including speeding and receiving a stolen vehicle while Rockwood is facing charges for receiving a stolen vehicle, disorderly conduct and drug charges.
Rockwood also faces charges from a previous case for assault and battery of a police officer. The teen who was allegedly driving the car faces a slew of charges, including reckless driving and receiving a stolen vehicle.
