Tuolumne County, CA—A Columbia woman allegedly used her vehicle as a deadly weapon and ended up in handcuffs for assault with a deadly weapon, among other charges.
Tuolumne County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a reckless driver on Sunday, March 15, 2026, and pursued the vehicle along Highway 49, pulling it over on the Stevenot Bridge. Behind the wheel was 40-year-old Melissa Christina Brockhaus. According to sheriff’s officials, she used her vehicle to ram an ex-boyfriend’s vehicle multiple times. They relayed that she then continued to chase the victim, driving at high speeds and crossing into oncoming traffic repeatedly, almost hitting pedestrians walking in the area.
Brockhaus allegedly also used a hammer to strike and damage the victim’s vehicle, resulting in over $400 in damage. She faces several felony charges, including assault, reckless driving, and vandalism, among several misdemeanor charges, including having a loaded gun when not the owner of the weapon.
