I-5 Car Chase Ends in Arrest

A Palm Springs man led authorities Thursday on a chase from San Diego to San Clemente before he was captured after briefly taking a hostage, authorities said.

The pursuit began about 11 a.m. when Scott D. Clein, 26, was spotted by police in a car with commercial license plates in the 3300 block of Midway Drive, police spokesman Bill Robinson said.

A check showed the plates had either been lost or stolen and that the car had been stolen from a car dealership in Riverside last year, Robinson said.

Officers chased Clein on northbound Interstate 5 and through North County until California Highway Patrol officers took over the chase just north of San Clemente, Robinson said.

The CHP followed Clein through downtown San Clemente and residential streets that took them to the 200 block of Avenida Aragon, where Clein left the car and took a hostage, according to CHP Officer Jerry Bohrer.

Bohrer said Clein put his arm around the neck of Ruben Sotelo, 25, of Anaheim and pointed a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol at his head. Officials later discovered the gun was not loaded, Bohrer said.

Clein took the hostage with him onto the front lawn of a home, then released him and aimed his gun at a highway patrol officer who pointed his gun at Clein and fired once, missing him, authorities said.

At that point Clein said “Don’t kill me!” and put the gun down, Bohrer said.

Clein, who said he is a citizen of the United Kingdom, told officers he stole the car in October, authorities said. He was booked for kidnaping, auto theft, assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest and reckless driving.