Woman leads police chase in Houston with 2 cats in the car

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman has been charged after leading police on a chase from the Clear Lake area to east Houston on Monday night.

Stacy Smith, 49, is facing charges of evading arrest after taking her two cats with her on a bizarre low-speed chase up the Gulf Freeway.

It all ended after 45 minutes, when Smith ran into heavy traffic on the East Loop, police said.

Speeds got only as high as 65 miles an hour, according to HPD Lt. Larry Crowson, and Houston's traffic helped end it.

"She got caught in traffic. She couldn't continue on," said Crowson. "I believe a couple of DPS troopers were in the lead of the chase. They went up and broke the window out and took her into custody."

Crowson said police were dispatched to a home on Seahorse in Clear Lake for a disturbance just before 7 p.m.

The woman was leaving when officers arrived and she refused to stop, he said. She "appears to be intoxicated, possibly in mental crisis," he added.

Her cats were taken to BARC, the city's animal shelter, where they will be available for adoption if unclaimed within four days.

The suspect faces at least a charge felony evading arrest.