An Oshawa woman is facing a slew of charges after a shoplifting incident turned into a police chase recently.
Police responded to a call involving a security guard at a Winners store on Victoria Street in Whitby around 7 p.m.
The security guard told police the accused stole an item from the store and then left without paying. After approaching the suspect, the security guard was physically assaulted in the face before the woman took off.
Police say the woman threatened the guard with both a knife and a handgun.
Moments later Durham cops saw the woman walking through a parking lot. When they approached her she boarded a bus and tried to flee but jumped off the bus and ran southbound.
The police helicopter, Air1, was called in and directed officers to her exact location. Apparently, the woman had discarded clothing while fleeing police in the hopes of evading them, police say.
After catching the woman, police found a luxury vehicle belonging to her in the parking lot near Winners where stolen property from other retail locations were also found and seized.
The 35-year-old woman of Normandy Street is charged with two counts of theft under $5,000, resisting police officer, assault, threatening death or bodily harm, two counts of possession or property obtained by crime and possession of a scheduled 11 substance.
She was released on an undertaking with conditions, police say.