Beach Traffic Stalled During Car Chase

Holiday weekend beach-goers found themselves stuck in traffic for more than an hour Sunday as Orange County sheriff’s deputies closed Coast Highway to chase and arrest two car-theft suspects.

Traffic backed up as deputies leaped from their patrol cars and ran after two young men who had crashed a reportedly stolen car into three other cars and then dashed away on foot, Sheriff’s Lt. Harold Schaffroth said.

Deputies arrested David Marcus Herrington, 22, and Danny Christian Estrada, 18, both of Oceanside, on suspicion of possessing stolen property, Schaffroth said. The two were being held in Orange County Jail.

The incident began when a deputy on routine patrol noticed a 1985 silver Audi in a parking lot at Coast Highway and Ruby Lantern Street in Dana Point about 4:30 p.m., Schaffroth said.

Feeling that there was something suspicious about the car, he had its license plates checked and found that it had been reported stolen earlier that day in Oceanside. Schaffroth said the deputy then followed the car for about 4 miles into Laguna Beach while waiting for backup deputies.

When the officer turned his flashing red lights on, the Audi accelerated and tried to get away despite the heavy traffic, Schaffroth said. Within seconds, the Audi rear-ended a Honda Accord, sideswiped a Toyota Celica and hit a Jaguar head-on. Herrington and Estrada jumped from the car and ran, but pursuing deputies quickly arrested them, Schaffroth said.

No one was injured.