Deputy: Placerville DUI Suspect Yelled Racist Taunts During Arrest

PLACERVILLE (CBS13) – A Somerset woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI after deputies say she was spotted driving erratically in Placerville.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office says one of their deputies was flagged down around 6 p.m. Thursday by a concerned motorist who allegedly saw an SUV heading the wrong way on Missouri Flat Road.

The deputy soon spotted the SUV near the front of an Auto Zone at Missouri Flat Road and Golden Center Drive, half in the sidewalk and half in the bushes.

With it looking like an accident, the deputy said other drivers had stopped to help. But as soon as the deputy showed up, the driver put her car in reverse and backed into the bushes and onto Missouri Flat Road – nearly hitting a pedestrian, the deputy says.

A short, slow-speed chase soon took place. However, the woman stopped after coming into some traffic at a red light at the westbound Highway 50 onramp and was detained by the deputy.

The driver, 23-year-old Lauren Esposito, screamed racist taunts and tried to run away while being investigated for DUI, the deputy says.

Esposito was later booked into El Dorado County Jail. She has posted bail, but is facing charges of suspicion of DUI and resisting, obstruction, and delaying a peace officer.