TEXARKANA, Texas–A Texarkana woman accused of ramming two police cars, injuring one, during a pursuit Aug. 31 in Wake Village, Texas, was indicted Thursday by a Bowie County grand jury.
Christa Michelle Latham, 36, is facing two felony counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer and a felony charge of evading arrest in a vehicle. She has also been charged with a misdemeanor charge of evading arrest.
Latham was pulled over in the 900 block of Guam Street in Wake Village for a traffic violation while she had an active warrant for violating the terms of a 10-year probation she began serving in March 2018 for possession of a controlled substance in Bowie County, according to a probable cause affidavit. Latham allegedly refused to turn off her vehicle and get out of the car, eventually putting the vehicle in gear and speeding away.
The officer who stopped Latham and others in patrol units from the Wake Village and Nash police departments pursued her as she reached the 1000 block of McArthur Street and into a gated community with a dead end. After turning around, Latham allegedly rammed two patrol cars trying to escape, causing her air bags to deploy. One of the officers suffered a broken finger when his patrol unit was hit, the affidavit said.
Latham allegedly ran from her car and resisted arrest after being placed on the ground.
She has been held in the Bowie County jail since her arrest with bail totaling $430,000. However, Latham is also facing a motion to revoke her existing felony probation and could be held on that charge without bail.
Latham faces five to 99 years or life in prison on each of the charges of aggravated assault of a peace officer, if convicted. If found guilty of evading arrest in a vehicle, Latham faces two to ten years in prison.
If Latham’s probation is revoked, she faces the possibility of additional prison time.
The cases are assigned to 5th District Judge Bill Miller. Latham is scheduled to appear before Judge Miller later this month for arraignment on the new charges and to address the motion to revoke probation.