Chase Ends With Arrest of Suspected Drunk Driver

Police arrested a motorist suspected of drunken driving Thursday morning after he led them on a chase through a Van Nuys neighborhood for more than an hour.

Raul Sonora, 21, of Van Nuys, was due to be booked on suspicion of felony drunk driving, assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest after he received medical treatment. Police wouldn’t say whether Sonora suffered any injuries during his arrest.

His bail will be set at $65,000, said Sgt. Kameron Kahn of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley Division.

The pursuit began about 8 a.m. at Ventura Boulevard and Wilbur Avenue in Tarzana when police approached the suspect’s red Honda Accord. “He was drinking beer right in front of officers,” said LAPD Sgt. Jeff Bender. “When he saw the officers, he just sped away. He just didn’t want to stop.”

Police followed Sonora through a maze of streets, ending in Van Nuys. Several times during the chase, which was being broadcast on local television stations, the driver stopped and put the car in reverse.

The driver didn’t appear to be worried about the parade of police cars behind him, as he swayed to music, waved to the helicopters and even stopped at one point for people who looked as if they asked him to surrender.

After being followed for about 70 minutes, the motorist was blocked by several squad cars in the 6500 block of Greenbush Avenue. Authorities said the suspect rammed his vehicle into a police car in an attempt to get away. A group of officers descended on Sonora’s car and pulled him from the vehicle.