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Woman drives rental car into home; damages pegged at $20K
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Manteca firefighter Tony Taberna works to remove window frames that could serve as a hazard to firefighters attempting to remove the car. - photo by GLENN KAHL

By GLENN KAHL

The Bulletin

Manteca Police say a 42-year-old woman upset about a relationship that ended deliberately drove a late model rental sedan through the front windows of a two-story home in the 1900 block of Bolton Lane in northwest Manteca at 5:15 p.m. Friday.

The homeowner returned home to find the car inside his front room near the base of the stairs. There were tire marks trailing from the street and across the front lawn. The only part of the car protruding out of the house was the back bumper.  Police officers arrived to find the woman motorist outside of her vehicle, shaken but reportedly unhurt.  She was checked out by ambulance medics before she was interviewed.

Officer Mike Kelly handcuffed the woman and transported her to the Manteca Police Department.  She was later taken to Stockton for mental evaluation, according to Sergeant Rob Armasino. 

Manteca Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Davis estimated the damage to the home at some $20,000.  Windows and window frames were left hanging above the vehicle and firefighters had to cut the wood sections loose to prevent injury to emergency workers.

Neighbors confirmed that the woman motorist had lived at the home for more than a year and had appeared to be upset by the break-up.

A city public works engineer was called to the scene to evaluate the safety of the structure and determined that it was safe and in a livable state, however the façade needed to be boarded up.