Nevada City – A horrifying encounter occurred for one unsuspecting Nevada City resident when an unknown female, later identified as 40-year-old Elisa Pueraro of Grass Valley, showed up at her residence on the afternoon of July 12.
The homeowner thought Pueraro was a delivery driver and walked out of her residence to meet her; however, she was mistaken. Pueraro reportedly exited her vehicle, retrieved a large axe from the trunk, and charged the homeowner with the axe. The homeowner ran for her life and was able to get back inside her residence and lock the door. Pueraro struck the front door with the axe before deciding to leave. The homeowner and Pueraro have no known affiliation; the attack was unprovoked.
The homeowner immediately called 911 for assistance. A description of the suspect and the suspect vehicle was provided to Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) deputies. An NCSO deputy staged near the intersection of Highway 20 and Washington Rd. found the suspect vehicle with Pueraro driving. The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle. Puararo failed to yield, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. Pueraro was pursued to the Nevada City area where allied agencies aided the pursuit, including the Grass Valley Police Department (GVPD), Nevada City Police Department (NCPD), and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The pursuit spanned approximately 13 miles. At one point, NCSO, GVPD and CHP had Pueraro semi-boxed in at Robinson’s Gas Station in Grass Valley; however, Puararo backed her vehicle into CHP’s vehicle and attempted to run over an NCSO deputy before fleeing again and colliding with an uninvolved motorist as well. She was ultimately captured off Scopar Road, a dirt road in Grass Valley, where she assaulted a CHP officer before being placed in a body wrap for her safety and the safety of peace officers.
Puararo was arrested for several offenses, including assault with a deadly weapon – 245(A)(1); evading police without regard for safety – 2800.2(A) CVC; obstructing a police officer – 148(a)(1) PC; being under the influence of a controlled substance – 1550 H&S; and vandalism – 594 PC.