Kayla Kistler

OKEECHOBEE — A high-speed chase early Tuesday morning ended when deputies deployed stop sticks in the path of a stolen car. On March 3 at approximately 1:30 a.m., Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Ashley Waskiewicz responded to the 12900 block of State Road 710 after being advised by Martin County Sheriff’s Office of a possible stolen 2017 Lexus sedan headed toward Okeechobee County.

Just before 2 a.m., Deputy Waskiewicz reportedly observed the vehicle and got behind it, activating lights and siren and attempting to conduct a traffic stop. Deputy Matthew Huffman also got behind the car and activated his lights and siren. Rather than stop, the vehicle’s driver reportedly sped up to speeds in excess of 110 mph, continuing northbound on State Road 710. Deputy Shane Bogner was staged at Southeast 86th Boulevard with stop sticks, but the vehicle just swerved around them and kept going, still at 110 mph. Deputy Michael Cauley waited at the 6000 block of State Road 710 with stop sticks, and this time the vehicle was successfully stopped, pulling off at the 5000 block. At that time, a white female, later identified as Kayla Kistler, 25, Miami, reportedly opened the driver’s side door and exited the vehicle running, with Deputy Waskiewicz right behind her. Deputy Waskiewicz told her to stop several times, but she reportedly continued to run through a pasture. Finally Deputy Waskiewicz deployed her taser but missed. A short time later, she was able to catch up to the woman and detain her.

An inventory was conducted of the vehicle, and this inventory reportedly included a small baggie containing methamphetamine residue, a scale, a vial containing methamphetamine residue, a large amount of miscellaneous vape pens and cartridges, unused syringes, two syringes which tested positive for methamphetamine, two baggies with less than a gram of methamphetamine, one and a half tablets of alprazolam and 49 tablets of Buspirone.

Kistler was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, grand theft auto, fleeing with disregard to safety of persons, reckless driving, resisting arrest without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license. Bond was set at $32,500.