Police: Woman said she paid for stolen car with meth

A woman led Des Moines police on a high speed chase early Tuesday morning before jumping out of the stolen car and fleeing on foot, officials said.

Officers spotted a black GMC Envoy with no license plates traveling in the 3500 block of an alley near Oxford Street around 1 a.m. and tried to stop the vehicle, according to Des Moines police reports.

The driver, later identified as Alexandra Venus Lene Gealow, 22, continued to drive slowly down the alley, despite several attempts to stop her by officers to activating their sirens, police said.

Once the SUV got to Oxford Street, it accelerated and went south, running a stop sign at Oxford Street and Hull Avenue, authorities said. Gealow continued south on Second Avenue, then east on Interstate Highway 235, police said.

She took the exit for East University Avenue and continued down that street until she turned north on East 32nd Street, officials said.

Speeds during the chase exceeded 100 miles per hour, police said.

In the 1200 block of East 32nd Street, the SUV was boxed in by squad cars and a parked vehicle. The SUV rolled as Gealow jumped out of the passenger side and fled on foot, authorities said.

She was caught and arrested a few houses away, police said.

Officers found out the vehicle was stolen and asked Gealow if she knew that.

Police said Gealow responded, "When you pay for a vehicle with meth, you don't ask questions," according to the police report.

Officers also found 55 pills of Diazepam and a small bottle of clear liquid Gealow said was morphine.

Gealow was charged with eluding, interference with official acts, second-degree theft, possession of Schedule IV and Schedule V drugs, failure to affix a drug tax stamp, driving without a valud license, failing to have a license plate and failing to obey traffic control devices.

She remains in the Polk County Jail on a $21,964 bond.