Woman arrested after Sioux Falls hotel robbery, police chase

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Sioux Falls police say a woman who robbed a hotel and then led the police officers on a lengthy car chase is now behind bars.

Police spokesman Sam Clemens says on Tuesday afternoon a clerk who worked at the Days Inn southwest of Sioux Falls was in a back room and came out to find the suspect taking money out of the till.

The suspect, a 31-year-old woman, threatened the employee with a knife, waving it back and forth before she turned and left.

Clemens says the two Days Inn employees followed the suspect outside to try and get information on the car she used to drive away. The suspect then used the car to intentionally drive into one of the employees. The employee was not injured.

The Days Inn employees were able to record the license plate number on the car, which police later discovered had been reported as stolen.

Clemens says police officers followed the car all the way through Sioux Falls, heading east, and ended their chase in Larchwood, Iowa where the local police took over.

The woman was arrested on charges in Iowa.

Her name has not been released because charges have yet to be filed in South Dakota. However, Clemens expects there will be an arrest warrant issued in the near future, which will result in charges against her in Sioux Falls as well.