A woman is facing multiple charges after a bizarre encounter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate escalated into a crazed pursuit that ended with the fatal shooting of her dog.
Alexa Rae Scharf, 29, of Loxahatchee, allegedly drove through a closed Secret Service checkpoint near Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, driving toward officers and fleeing in a wild pursuit down Palm Beach’s exclusive South Ocean Boulevard.
Scharf was arrested later that night and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle, felony fleeing and resisting an officer without violence.
The probable cause affidavit also states that investigators found probable cause for three counts of resisting an officer with violence.
The extraordinary incident unfolded when Scharf drove her gray Hyundai SUV into a closed checkpoint in the Bath & Tennis Club’s west parking lot around 6.05 pm.
Investigators said no one was authorized to enter at the time. Scharf allegedly parked beside the vehicle-screening tents, exited the vehicle and turned on a hose.
When Secret Service Agent McGear approached and asked, ‘Who are you?’ Scharf allegedly fired back, ‘I’m here for the car wash’.
McGear attempted to photograph the SUV’s license plate to determine whether Scharf was authorized to be there.
Alexa Rae Scharf allegedly breezed into a closed Mar-a-Lago checkpoint, switched on a hose and declared to security she was ‘there for the car wash’
Scharf repeatedly ignored commands from law enforcement, allegedly driving towards a secret service agent and two police officers before attempting to flee down Palm Beach’s famously exclusive Ocean Boulevard. Her pet pit bull was shot twice during the standoff
From there the incident escalated, according to police Sharf got back behind the wheel, ignored repeated commands to stop and drove toward the agent, forcing him to pivot swiftly and move out of her path to avoid being bulldozed.
Some minutes later, McGear located the Hyundai perched outside a oceanfront estate at 1236 Ocean Blvd, less than half a mile away.
After turning around, he reported finding the property’s massive entrance gate knocked down and visibly damaged. Scharf’s SUV was stalled farther up the driveway, and she was allegedly leisurely strolling around the property.
The affidavit says Scharf returned to the running SUV as Palm Beach police officers and Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies moved up the driveway and ordered her to get out.
Investigators allege Scharf once again refused to comply and drove directly toward Palm Beach Police Captain Watson, forcing him to move quickly to avoid being struck.
As Scharf backed down the driveway, Officer Castineiras arrived and ordered her to stop. Police say she continued driving toward him, also forcing him out of her path.
Scharf then maneuvered between marked police cruisers and fled south on South Ocean Boulevard as officers pursued with emergency lights and sirens, according to the affidavit.
The pursuit ended in a driveway in the 1500 block of South Ocean Boulevard. Police carried out a felony stop and repeatedly ordered Scharf to turn off the SUV and step out.
After Scharf refused ongoing orders, officers placed stop sticks beneath the tires before breaking the rear windshield and rear driver-side window, in an effort to get her out.
Scharf now faces two counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle, felony fleeing and resisting an officer without violence
Officers ultimately pried open the driver’s door, removed Scharf and took her into custody as per the affidavit.
But the tense standoff took a tragic turn when Palm Beach police said Scharf’s pit bull suddenly charged at officers, as per CBS12.
The dog jumped over Scharf, charged officers and bit one officer as they opened a door.
An officer shot the pit bull twice.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control personnel and a veterinarian attempted to treat the animal, but it died.
Police said an initial on-scene investigation found no policy violations in the shooting and the officer who fired the shots has not been placed on administrative leave.
The condition of the officer who was bitten has not been released. The Secret Service declined to comment.
The strange incident also brought traffic to a standstill near the president’s Palm Beach estate, with South Ocean Boulevard closed between Via Agape and 1236 South Ocean Boulevard from roughly 6pm until approximately 9.30pm, according to town alerts.
