A Pismo Beach woman convicted of ramming multiple vehicles — including a father and daughter in a pickup truck and a State Parks peace officer’s car — was sentenced to more than a year in jail Monday.
Willow Osah Waddell, 50, was arrested in the early hours of Sept. 3, 2022, after San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of someone attempting to run over a child in Cayucos, according to a news release at the time.
According to court documents, the victim in the case saw Waddell parked in his driveway at his Cayucos home after he picked up his daughter from school. Waddell had left his wife harassing voicemails, documents said, so the man made a U-turn and drove away “out of fear” for his and his daughter’s safety.
That’s when Waddell chased him down the driveway in her car and “rammed the back of his truck,” documents said. When he sped up to try to get away Waddell rammed his truck a second time.
The man was “very fearful” at that point and drove his car in a doughnut to try to evade her, documents said, and Waddell tried to ram his truck a third time, but failed.
He was able to drive to Highway 1 and flee northbound toward Cambria, where he lost sight of her. Neither he or his daughter were injured, court documents said, “but they were very scared.” His truck had moderate damage.
By the time sheriff’s deputies arrived at 3:45 p.m. to the 6000 block of Highway 1 in Cayucos, the suspect Waddell and both victims had left the scene.
“The Sheriff’s Office received reports that Waddell may be in possession of a firearm, and may be having a mental health crisis,” the release said.
Multiple agencies joined in on the subsequent search for Waddell, including the Pismo Beach Police Department, State Parks and the California Highway Patrol.
During the search, court documents said, Waddell rammed her car into a California State Parks officer’s vehicle when the officer attempted a traffic stop.
One officer suffered soft tissue injuries to his lower back as a result, court documents said, which caused him to miss two weeks of work and attend about a month of physical therapy.
Waddell returned to her Pismo Beach home around 7:05 p.m., the sheriff’s news release said.
Deputies formed a perimeter once she entered her garage and ordered Waddell to come out. Court documents say her neighbors had to be evacuated from their homes.
The Sheriff’s Office Crisis Negotiation Team also attempted to contact Waddell by phone and through a loudspeaker.
Deputies maintained their barricade until Special Enforcement Detail members entered the home at approximately 1:46 a.m. after detectives wrote a Ramey warrant for Waddell alleging child endangerment and assault with a deadly weapon.
A Ramey warrant is an arrest warrant ordered by a judge prior to prosecutors filing formal criminal charges.
Waddell was ultimately charged with two counts of assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of fleeing a peace officer with reckless driving on Sept. 7, 2022.
In October 2022, she was deemed incompetent to stand trial and ordered to receive treatment at the Department of State Hospitals, court records show. She was sent to Sacramento Behavioral Health Hospital in January and returned in February, records show.
From there, Waddell attempted to take her case through mental health diversion court, a program meant to help those who commit crimes while in a mental health crisis receive treatment to dismiss their charges. She entered the program in April but failed out in September.
She pleaded no contest to one count of assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury and one count of assault with a deadly weapon on Oct. 17, court records show. The other charges were dismissed.
She was sentenced to 456 days in jail — which she has already served — and three years of probation. She is out of custody now, but is also barred from contacting the victims in the case.
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
