Across Orange and Los Angeles counties Wednesday morning, the driver of an allegedly stolen SUV led authorities on a lengthy pursuit that continued even after he was arrested.
A Costa Mesa Police spokesperson told KTLA the chase started at 9:41 a.m. when officers tried to pull over a white Audi Q5, but the driver took off.
The suspected thief reached speeds of upwards of 80 mph on surface streets in Compton in an attempt to elude officers. By about 10:30 a.m., the pursuit entered Willowbrook, with the driver making dangerous turns at high speeds.
The driver then returned to Compton, where he topped 100 mph while weaving through cars and sometimes barreling into oncoming traffic.
The driver tried to escape multiple law enforcement agencies by using several freeways, such as the 105, 405 and 110.
He also pulled under an overpass and drove in circles until another white SUV approached, then drove alongside that other vehicle to create confusion.
As of 11:30 a.m., the SUV’s driver remained on the loose, but Sky5 had to leave the chase to refuel.
At about noon, Costa Mesa PD confirmed that the original driver had been apprehended. While he was being taken into custody, a passenger hopped into the SUV’s driver seat and took off, continuing the pursuit.
It was not immediately clear where and when that occurred.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the vehicle was also involved in a crime in Rancho Cucamonga Tuesday afternoon.
According to department spokesperson Gloria Huerta, at about 1:30 p.m., deputies responded to the 12300 block of Hollyhock Drive, where a car had been broken into.
The victim’s wallet and cash were missing, and “it was later determined an [unknown] suspect in a white Audi SUV with a stolen license plate (Riverside Police case) followed the victim and broke into the car, taking the items,” Huerta said.
Nancy Fontan contributed to this report.