A sheriff’s office has charged teenagers after a chase by deputies in northern Colorado

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – Two teenagers are accused of stealing an SUV and then leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase in the stolen vehicle.

A Larimer County deputy first spotted the stolen Subaru Forrester at a gas station in Bertha in the early morning hours of Nov. 14. The vehicle was reported stolen a day earlier in an armed robbery in Weld County.

“Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle at Wagon Bend Road and Buckskin Road. The driver refused to stop, eluded deputies and continued northbound on Berthoud Park,” the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said.

The driver hit the gas pedal, reaching more than 100 mph as the pursuit continued onto Highway 402. The vehicle slowed as it approached the highway, and the sheriff’s office said deputies executed a tactical maneuver to stop the SUV.

“The Forrester struck a curb and then struck a nearby tree and caught fire,” the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said. “Deputies quickly removed the driver and passenger.”

Deputies found the rifle while pulling the suspects from the vehicle, the sheriff’s office added.

The suspects have been identified as Michael Howell-McGlynn and Christine Elizabeth Romero, both 19 years old. Howell-McGlynn is charged with evading a vehicle resulting in bodily injury to another person, obstructing a law enforcement officer and reckless driving, while Romero faces charges of conspiracy to commit a fourth-degree felony. She was also wanted on an unrelated arrest warrant for allegedly assaulting a law enforcement officer in Boulder County. Deputies say Howell-McGlynn was driving and Romero was a passenger.

“This driver’s reckless behavior shows an alarming disregard for the safety of others,” Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said of the arrests. “Our deputies will continue to protect this community and apprehend the dangerous criminals who threaten lives and property in Northern Colorado.”