CHP arrests driver after wild pursuit; man suspected of carjacking several vehicles

A pursuit that lasted about 90 minutes and went from Riverside County into San Diego County and then north to Orange County ended late Monday morning when a man pulled over and surrendered to officers.

10News showed video of the arrest, showing the driver getting out of a white car and getting on the ground with his hands behind his head on a street in Orange County around 11:16 a.m.

The arrest came after a wild pursuit that began in Murrieta when officers tried to pull over a motorcycle rider for not wearing a helmet, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tommy Doerr. The rider took off south and eventually drove into San Diego County.

During the chase, the rider ditched his motorcycle and began to carjack vehicles, although the exact method he used to get into vehicles was not immediately clear, Doerr said. He apparently took three cars during the pursuit.

“He is forcing his way in,” said Doerr. It was unclear if he had a weapon or if the drivers of the cars remained with their vehicles, he said.

At one point, CHP officers reported that the man was passing cars in the center divide of south Interstate 5 near Manchester Avenue, traveling in excess of 100 mph.

While he was in San Diego County, the CHP and county sheriff’s officers tried to stop the driver several times by putting spike strips on the freeway, according to the CHP incident log.

Around 10:45 a.m., the driver changed direction and headed north, Doerr said. By 11:05 a.m., the pursuit had crossed the county line and was in San Clemente.