WESTMINSTER : High-Speed Chase Ends Near Border

A high-speed police chase down 107 miles of freeway ended just a half-mile from the Mexican border Saturday night when the pickup truck being pursued broke down and the driver and passenger were arrested.

The pursuit began just before 10 p.m. when Westminster police were called to an apartment complex at 7062 Maple St. because of an altercation outside. Witnesses told police that two men with handguns were fleeing in a pickup truck. Police spotted the pickup and attempted to pull it over without success.

The chase, which included two squad cars and a helicopter, continued down the San Diego Freeway to Interstate 5 and ended just a half-mile from Mexico’s border when the pickup apparently broke down or ran out of gas.

If the truck had made it across the border, Westminster police said they would have been unable to continue the chase because international law requires Mexican police intervention at that time.

The driver, Adan Francisco Velazquez, 19, of Westminster, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest. A passenger, Jose Dabi Piseno, 20, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. His residence was unknown.

Police said the men were charged with assault for allegedly trying to injure a man with the truck during the fight outside the apartment. The victim was not injured.