A romance novelist, who once trademarked the word “cocky,” was arrested last month after taking Wyoming police on a 24-mile high-speed chase. She hasn’t been seen since being released from jail weeks ago. What happened?
Romance novelist leads cops on high-speed chase
January 27, Faleena Hopkins, the author of the Cocker Brothers series of romance novels, was parked on the side of the road at Jackson Lake Junction at the Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming.
It was the second time officers had contact with Hopkins that day. One hour earlier, before the chase began, her car had become stuck in the snow, and park officials had pulled her free. They issued her a citation for “operating a non-oversnow vehicle in an oversnow route.”
In this second instance, a law enforcement ranger from the park attempted to make contact with Hopkins. But as soon as the Ranger initiated his patrol vehicle lights, Hopkins fled in her car, according to a report from the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
What followed was a high-speed chase through Grand Teton National Park, where she reached speeds up to 90 miles an hour. The chase lasted some 24 miles, finally coming to an end when Park Service Officers used spike strips to stop her vehicle, Law & Crime reports.
Author arrested and charged with several federal misdemeanors
Officers arrested Hopkins and charged her with several federal misdemeanors, which included speeding, stopping or parking in the roadway, failing to comply with a traffic control device, careless operation of a vehicle, and fleeing or attempting to elude police officers.
Hopkins disappears after being released from jail
Three days after her arrest, Hopkins was released from the Teton County Jail on her own recognizance on Jan. 30, according to court records. She had an arraignment scheduled for February 28.
However, that was the last time anyone has seen the author.
“Faleena Marie Hopkins, age 52, was last seen in Jackson, Wyoming on January 30, 2023,” according to a post on the Wyoming Missing Persons website. “She is a white female, approximately 5’7″, 135 pounds, with green eyes and blond hair. Faleena has an infinity symbol on her left wrist, ‘Follow All Instincts’ on her right wrist, a lion face on her left shoulder and a hummingbird on her right ankle.”
Anyone with any information or details about Hopkins’ whereabouts is urged to contact the Jackson Police Department in Wyoming at (307) 733-1430 or the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation at (307) 777-7181.
Has history of controversy
The controversy surrounding Hopkins isn’t new. She made national headlines in 2018 when she registered for and received a trademark on the word “cocky,” the New York Post reported.
Her acquisition of the trademark set off “Cockygate” according to Vox. Hopkins started to take action against other authors who wanted to use the word “cocky” in the title of their romance novels. The action spurred a huge upheaval in the romance novel industry. Hopkins eventually surrendered the trademark registration after mass objections, according to People.
Hopkins claimed the trademark was to protect her “Cocker Brothers” series. She has sold more than 1 million copies of her over 40 books worldwide.
According to her IMDb page, she was raised in the bay area and worked as a standup comic in Los Angeles at one point before becoming an author. The page says she lives in Manhattan. However, according to the NY Post, she resides mostly in Seattle, Washington.
