A woman was charged with attempted murder in connection with using her SUV to hit an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy on a bicycle at John Wayne Airport, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Rebecca Lee McLaughlin, 48, Newport Beach, is charged with one felony count each of attempted murder, aggravated assault on a peace officer, and aggravated assault.
If convicted, she faces a life sentence in prison.
She’s accused of driving her Toyota Sequoia through a closed-lot entrance booth on Tuesday night and breaking the barricade to enter an airport parking structure.
She allegedly tried to run down an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy who was patrolling the area on his bicycle, prosecutors said in a statement.
The force of the collision threw the deputy 20 feet and destroyed the bike, officials said.
After the collision, the suspect tried to drive off but jumped a curb and hit a parking pole, prosecutors said.
The deputy, who suffered minor cuts and bruises, ran to the disabled vehicle and arrested her.
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Photo Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Department