She's the woman in the middle of the Heather Locklear DUI controversy -- and a former Us Weekly employee! Jill Ishkanian made the 911 call that got Locklear arrested.

Ishkanian called to report, "a drunk driver," and as she detailed Heather's alleged erratic driving to the emergency line operator, she received this warning: "I need to ask you to stop following the car."

After a call to the cops, TMZ's Harvey Levin reports Jill called a photo agency -- which arrived to snap the only pictures of a handcuffed Heather. "She was following Heather Locklear on Saturday," Levin claims.

Today, Ishkanian's lawyer Nick Tepper tells "Extra" that any implication that his client was after Heather -- or a story -- are plain wrong, saying, "My client was visiting her hometown...happened upon a person who happened to be Heather Locklear...that's all."

Despite these claims, Levin is sticking by his story. "The paparazzi agency told us multiple times they got the call from Jill." Tepper counters that claim with, "At no time did my client call the paparazzi."

This isn't Jill's first celebrity run-in. "Extra" has learned that in 2006, the FBI raided her home, investigating claims that Ishkanian hacked into the computers of her former employer, Us Weekly, allegedly to steal celebrity information and photos. Charges have not been filed in the case, and Jill denies the allegations -- and filed a $55 million lawsuit against the magazine, which is still pending.

As for Heather -- "Extra" spotted her out and about with beau Jack Wagner in L.A. yesterday. The CHP states that it plans to press ahead with its investigation -- and that they have other witnesses. Heather's drug tests are due back in several weeks.