Jaramillo appears in court for drug charges

SANTA FE, N.M. — Jeannine Jaramillo, the woman who allegedly led police on a high-speed chase going the wrong way down I-25 that ended in a deadly crash, is sitting in jail charged with murder.

There were many developments over the weekend with this case, including a new list of charges against Jaramillo.

KOB 4 is learning more about how investigators came to charge the woman who claimed she was being kidnapped at the time. Jaramillo is being held at the Santa Fe detention center and appeared in court Monday, but not for charges related to the crash.

Online court records show she is currently being held for drug possession.

When Jeannine Jaramillo was arrested Saturday, the jail had to conduct a strip search. Hiding in her crotch, authorities reportedly found an unopened syringe and a small bag containing a white substance that tested positive for meth.

In court Monday, she was released on a $2,500 bond. But after the hearing, she went right back to jail – awaiting trial on Tuesday for the long list of charges the Santa Fe County District Attorney said they have filed against Jaramillo.

“She will be charged with felony murder which is first-degree murder in this state the felony predicate from that is the aggravated fleeing from a police officer,” Mary Carmack-Altwies said.

In total, Jaramillo faces five charges. Counts 1 and 2 are for the homicides of officer Robert Duran and retired firefighter Frank Lovato. Jaramillo is also facing charges of receiving a stolen vehicle, fleeing from an officer, and tampering with evidence.

KOB 4 also got a first look at the arrest warrant detailing the events before the crash.

According to the arrest warrant that was served Saturday, the initial 911 call came in from a bystander after Jaramillo told the bystander her passenger was armed with a knife and would not get out of her vehicle. That call led to a high-speed chase going the wrong way down I-25.

But when the crash happened – an officer only saw Jaramillo get out of the car. She crawled out of the driver’s window.

“From the district attorney’s perspective, there is, without question, sufficient cause to assert that Jaramillo was driving the vehicle willfully and freely without any kind of duress when she fled from law enforcement and she caused the collision that killed officer Duran and Mr. Lovato,” Carmack-Altwies said.

This arrest warrant also stated that DNA evidence and vehicle airbag data show she was the only one in the car the whole time.

The DA has not yet filed for pretrial detention to hold Jaramillo as she waits for trial.