Driver identified as Esther Paragulla arrested by troopers in Ohio after high-speed pursuit (Ohio State Highway Patrol).
A 33-year-old Edison, New Jersey, woman behind the wheel of a Nissan after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers blew out her tires and surrounded her on the shoulder following a pursuit that allegedly went on for than 30 miles and reached speeds as high as 110 mph in late June was caught on bodycam video complaining that authorities took her phone, repeatedly asking them what their “problem” was, and claiming not to know what fleeing and eluding meant.
The video obtained by Law&Crime on Monday is nearly 37 minutes long and showed how troopers tried to stop the suspect, identified as Esther Paragulla, by demanding around the 34-minute mark that she just “give it up” on the Ohio Turnpike that afternoon of June 29.
“You’re not going to win this one! The car is already falling apart,” a trooper can be heard saying as his dashcam was rolling. “You’re already in enough trouble, you don’t want to be in more. Go ahead and pull it over. You’re never even gonna make it there’s like 10 of us now.”
“Pull it over, your tires are done, your car is done, you are done,” the trooper said again with emphasis. “There is nowhere else for you to go! Pull it over now!”
Troopers close in on the Nissan, boxing it into the shoulder (Ohio State Highway Patrol).
Eventually, not far from an exit for I-77 towards Cleveland and Akron, the car did come to a stop and troopers emerged from their vehicles with guns drawn. Authorities started to get the driver and her passenger out of the car by first smashing the passenger side window and pulling a man onto the ground.
The moment troopers pulled the passenger out of the Nissan (Ohio State Highway Patrol).
From there, troopers approached the driver’s door and pulled her out of the vehicle.
“Ow, what’s your friggin’ problem?” the driver appeared to say when she was pulled away from the car and put in handcuffs. “Are you guys serious right now?”
Driver identified as Esther Paragulla arrested by troopers in Ohio after high-speed pursuit (Ohio State Highway Patrol).
“This is mine,” a trooper said, seemingly referring to the suspect’s phone.
“You took my phone!” she exclaimed.
Suspect not happy that her phone was confiscated during her arrest (Ohio State Highway Patrol).
“You ain’t gettin’ your phone right now,” a trooper reacted.
“What is your problem?” the driver asked again.
“You’re under arrest for fleeing and eluding,” the trooper answered.
“For what? For fleeing and eluding? What does that even mean?” the driver asked.
It was at this point that the arresting trooper advised Paragulla of her rights.
Meanwhile, the male passenger that was in the car was already on the ground and with his hands behind his back.
High-speed pursuit suspect asks troopers what their “problem” is as passenger is on the ground with hands behind his back (Ohio State Highway Patrol).
Upon seeing that, the driver again remarked, “Are you serious?”
At one point of the video, while the pursuit was still ongoing, a trooper could be heard saying that the passenger was recording what was happening.
“Watch that passenger, he’s the one egging her on,” the trooper stated. “Thinking it’s funny.”
The passenger has reportedly not been charged or identified.
The pursuit allegedly began in Trumbull County and continued into Portage County, resulting in Paragulla’s indictment in the latter jurisdiction in early July for allegedly assaulting a trooper by almost hitting into him, fleeing and eluding authorities, and obstructing official business.
Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show that she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity on July 8.
A trial was initially set for Sept. 24.
Law&Crime reached out to a defense of attorney of record for comment.
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