Man Arrested in Lemon Grove After 3-City Motorcycle Chase

An Oak View motorcyclist led several California Highway Patrol cars and a Ventura County sheriff’s helicopter on a high-speed chase through three cities Saturday before he ditched his bike in a lemon grove and was tackled by an officer, authorities and witnesses said.

A CHP officer noticed a motorcycle speeding north on Maricopa Highway at about 4 p.m., and the officer gave chase in a patrol car, a CHP spokeswoman said. Additional CHP units were called in to join the pursuit as the motorcycle accelerated.

With a sheriff’s helicopter tracking the motorcycle from the sky, CHP officers chased the evasive cyclist to Ojai, then back to Ventura, and then back again to Ojai, where he tried to lose the officers in Camp Comfort off Creek Road, authorities said.

Revving his 1980 Harley-Davidson to speeds of up to 90 m.p.h., the motorcyclist turned onto Highway 150, a windy, two-lane road connecting Ojai and Santa Paula. By the time he reached Santa Paula, four CHP cars had joined the chase.

Nearly an hour after the pursuit began, the motorcyclist’s path was blocked by construction on Telegraph Road in western Santa Paula, the spokeswoman said. So the cyclist turned into a lemon grove and attempted to flee on foot.

“It’s a pretty insane place to attempt to drive a motorcycle,” said Andrew Coulombe, 20, a resident of the lemon ranch. Coulombe said a CHP sergeant tackled the cyclist as he attempted to escape.

CHP said Paul Curtis, 31, was arrested and booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of felony evasion of a peace officer with reckless driving. His bail was set at $5,000.