Man Leads Police on 25-Mile Freeway Chase

After allegedly stealing a co-worker’s pickup truck Tuesday afternoon, a Santa Ana man led police from several cities on a 100-m.p.h. chase through 25 miles of rush-hour freeway traffic before crashing near Crown Valley Parkway, authorities said.

Nobody was seriously injured during the pursuit, including the suspect, Jose Ismael Perez, 29. Officials said Perez was intoxicated at the time of his arrest.

“It was really amazing that nobody was hurt,” said CHP Officer Greg Moorehead, who was a quarter-mile behind Perez when the suspect hit a freeway center divider and spun out of control, narrowly missing several vehicles. “It was a very hairy scene out there.”

Perez was treated for bruises and a facial cut at Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo and released into the custody of Santa Ana police.

He was arrested on suspicion of several felony offenses, including hit and run, grand auto theft, driving under the influence and evading a police officer, and is being held at the Orange County Jail.

Police said Perez stole a truck owned by Margarita Chavez, a co-worker at Power Circuits Inc. in Santa Ana.

Ray Olinger, production manager at the company, said he received reports from other employees that Perez had an argument with Chavez at work Tuesday morning. Shortly afterward, Perez quit without explanation, he said.

Olinger declined to discuss the nature of the disagreement. He added that Perez was a good employee who had worked for the company for about a year without causing any problems.

Chavez could not be reached for comment.

Shortly after 4 p.m., police said, Chavez left work and climbed into her 1979 Ford truck, where she was surprised by Perez.

Chavez told police that as she started the truck, she “looked in the rear-view mirror and saw somebody laying in the bed of the truck.”

Police said Chavez “became frightened,” then ran back inside her office for help, leaving her keys and purse inside the truck. When she came back outside, Perez was driving away, officials said.

Less than a block from the firm, at Harbor Boulevard and Croddy Way, Perez collided with a car being driven by James Daniel Smith of Santa Ana, said Santa Ana police spokeswoman Maureen Hacker. Hacker said the driver complained of pain, but was not seriously injured.

The truck proceeded on to the southbound San Diego Freeway with Costa Mesa police in pursuit. Irvine police also joined in the chase, which sped down the crowded freeway, weaving between the center divider and car-pool lanes at speeds of more than 100 m.p.h.

Highway patrol officers spotted the suspect near El Toro Road.

“He was driving in the dirt of the center median, so dust was flying everywhere,” Moorehead said. “We were getting ready to back off and let him go because of the danger to the public when he went out of control. He would have gotten away if he hadn’t crashed.”

Perez is scheduled to appear before a Central Court judge today.