Suspects Caught After Police Spike Tires of Getaway Car

Two men were arrested on grand theft charges after leading police on a lengthy chase early Sunday morning, and two of their companions were arrested at the scene when they couldn’t find their car keys, police said.

The four men were allegedly stealing wheels and accessories off cars in the Woodbridge neighborhood about 1:30 a.m. when officers caught the would-be thieves in the act, Sgt. Dick Bowman said.

Two suspects, identified as Doanh Q. Le, 20, and Tuong Q. Tran, 19, both of Garden Grove, fled the scene and wound their way through city streets before reaching the northbound San Diego Freeway, Bowman said.

The two fleeing suspects raced through Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley, but police herded them toward the Beach Boulevard exit in Westminster where officers had put a spiked strip across the lane to puncture the car’s tires.

The car, with four flat tires, caught on fire and lurched to a stop two miles later back in Fountain Valley, where the suspects were arrested, Bowman said.

The other two suspects, identified as Kien N. Son, 18, of Garden Grove and Haong Nguyen, 19, of Westminster, were arrested at the scene of the alleged thefts after their friends fled with the keys to the second suspect vehicle, Bowman said.

All four were being held Sunday at the Orange County Jail on suspicion of grand theft. Le and Tran also were being held on suspicion of evading arrest.