HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT ALONG THE WAY

MAN LEADS L.A. OFFICERS ON ‘LONGEST CHASE’ TO BORDER

Los Angeles Times
December 19, 2009

LOS ANGELES — A man who carjacked a vehicle and led police on a high-speed chase across three counties before being apprehended near the Mexican border is in custody today, authorities said.

The pursuit started at 8.39 p.m. Thursday in South Gate and was reported as a carjacking, said Officer Jesse Udovich, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol in San Diego.

LA County sheriff’s deputies gave chase as the suspect headed south on Los Angeles and Orange County freeways, Udovich said. CHP officers from both counties joined the pursuit.

Near San Juan Capistrano, officers deployed a spike strip in an attempt to halt the suspect’s vehicle, but “he swerved around it,” Udovich said.

Speeds ranged from 40 to 90 mph and sometimes the suspect drove with his lights off, “which made it very difficult,” Udovich said.

San Diego-based CHP officers picked up the chase when the suspect entered San Diego County. The suspect continued south to Otay Mesa and wound up near Donovan state Correctional Facility.

“He traveled the wrong way…in an attempt to cross over to Mexico,” Udovich said.

Otay Mesa is an official border crossing. Officials closed in and forced the suspect’s vehicle to abruptly spin out. He was taken into custody, Udovich said.