Missing romance novelist found three weeks after leading police on high speed chase in Grand Teton Park
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JACKSON, Wyoming — A romance novelist who led officers on a high-speed chase in Grand Teton Park, and then disappeared for over two weeks, has been found safe.
Faleena Hopkins, 52, was originally given a ticket on Jan. 27 for driving a “non-oversnow vehicle on an oversnow route” in the park. A snowplow was needed to remove her vehicle from the snow.
A short time later, officers attempted to stop Hopkins while she was parked on the highway at Jackson Lake Junction, Fox News reports.
“The officer initiated his patrol vehicle lights, and the woman fled in her vehicle. She began to drive at a high rate of speed over 75 mph and up to 90 mph,” officials said.
Hopkins allegedly drove 24 miles before being pulled over after officers deployed spike strips. Court records show she was charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police officers, stopping or parking upon the roadway, operating a vehicle in excess of the posted speed limit, failing to comply with a traffic control device and operating a vehicle without due care.
Hopkins was booked into the Teton County Jail and released on Jan. 30, the last day she was seen in Jackson Hole, according to Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Missing Persons page.
When she left the Teton County Detention Center, she left behind her car, dog and cellphone, Cowboy State Daily reports.
Family members told police they were concerned for Hopkins’ safety and surveillance cameras reportedly tracked her to the Jackson Airport. Detectives said she bought a new cellphone with a new number.
The new phone pinged in the Hawaiian island of Kauai on Feb. 14, Jackson Police Department Lt. Russ Ruschill told Fox News Digital.
On Friday afternoon, police confirmed Hopkins had been found safe and is no longer considered a missing person.
“The Jackson Police Department would like to extend our thanks to the law enforcement agencies who assisted in this investigation as well as the members of the press and citizens who ultimately assisted in locating Ms. Hopkins,” Ruschill said in a statement.
Officers did not say where Hopkins was located and it’s unclear if she’s in police custody.