Relative's failed drug test keeps girl accused in high-speed chase behind bars
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A 12-year-old girl who allegedly led authorities on a high-speed police chase in Montgomery County is staying in police custody, and now she's facing even more charges in the case.
RAW VIDEO: Dash cam footage from chase
The girl's attorney says he had hoped the girl would be able to go home today, but that didn't happen after the judge deemed it unsafe for her to be released to her grandmother and mother after one of them failed a drug test.
Right now she is undergoing some evaluations, which will decide whether she will be released next week.
The lingering question of why the girl would do this remains, but her attorney says she's undergoing a mental exam.
Her lawyer said, "I have a 12-year-old client who is four-feet, four-inches tall and she's been in jail for, coming up on 20 days now, and she wasn't released today because of problems that weren't hers, but because of her family members, and yeah, that's frustrating to me, but I'm hoping to have her out by Monday."
VIDEO: 12-year-old leads police on high-speed chase
Montgomery County Attorney JD Lambright said, "We hope this young lady realizes the seriousness of what she has done. This is not just a little joyride and you know, had fun, take away my cell phone and let me go home. As the judge told her last week, she could have killed herself, killed her sister or other people."
The girl is accused of taking her grandmother's car on a high-speed joyride last month that investigators say reached speeds of up to 118 miles per hour, sideswiping vehicles and putting lives at risk.
No one was injured, including the girl and her 7-year-old sister, who was in the passenger seat of the vehicle.
Officers say they only learned of what was going on after the 12-year-old girl's grandmother called police, noticing both she and the 7-year-old were gone, along with her car.
Thinking the girls were kidnapped, she called 911. They were able to track the car using OnStar, and after that, the chase ensued.
The chase from east Montgomery County to the western edge of the county along Highway 105. OnStar ultimately ended the chase by disabling the car.
County Attorney JD Lambright believes the chase lasted 40 miles or so. He said was especially dangerous because it occurred at 5:30 during rush hour traffic.
The girl's other family members will have to undergo drug tests, and if they are clean, it is possible the girl may be released.
