Flames spewed from a wrecked vehicle that crashed following a police pursuit in Huntington Beach early Saturday morning.
According to the Huntington Beach Police Department, an officer assigned to the graveyard shift observed a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed in a residential neighborhood in the area of Atlanta Avenue and Newland Street around 5:15 a.m.
As the vehicle sped off, the officer began to pursue it. At some point during the chase, the vehicle, which appeared to be a Dodge Charger, ran through a red signal at the intersection of Newland and Adams Avenue and crashed into another vehicle.
The Charger caught fire, police said, and became fully engulfed.
The driver and the passenger were transported to the local hospital for treatment of minor injuries and were arrested upon their release. They’ve been identified as Yonathan Acosta, 18, of Norwalk and Tyrece Sinkler, 22, of Long Beach.
Inside the charred remains of their vehicle, police found multiple catalytic converters that appeared to be “freshly cut,” as well as a saw and multiple blades both new and used.
Acosta and Sinkler were booked into the Huntington Beach City Jail to await felony charges related to the thefts and the chase.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Huntington Beach Police Department WeTip hotline at 714-375–5066.
