Suspect was arrested for evading, possession of ammunition
A 19-year-old who was on felony probation was arrested in Healdsburg last week after leading Healdsburg Police in a car chase down Mason and Front Streets ending on Ward Street where the male suspect was detained and charged for felony evading, child endangerment and possession of ammunition and controlled substance.
The incident occurred Thursday evening, July 16, after Healdsburg Police Officer Mason conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle after an occupant tossed a Pepsi can out the window. The suspect, a 19-year-old Hispanic male, was driving and there were four passengers.
According to a press release from the Healdsburg Police Department, a records check revealed that the male was on felony probation with full search terms, and the officer asked everyone to exit the car to conduct a probation search of the vehicle.
“Officer Mason asked the driver if there was anything that should not be in the car and the driver said ‘Yes,’ turned on the vehicle and fled the scene at a high rate of speed,” the press release states.
Officers initiated a vehicle pursuit that wound its way from Mason and Fitch Streets down to Harmon and Hudson Streets and onto Front Street. The chase, which didn’t exceed 50 mph, continued on Kennedy Lane and back onto Healdsburg Avenue. Police thought one of the car occupants may have thrown a substance out of the car, but the area was later searched by a county sheriff K9 and nothing illegal was found.
The suspect continued on Healdsburg Avenue and entered the McDonald’s parking lot before turning onto Exchange Avenue. The pursuit ended on Ward Street when the suspect had to abruptly stop to avoid hitting an approaching patrol vehicle.
The statement released by police says a high risk stop was then completed and during a search of the vehicle, ammunition and a substance that later tested positive for MDMA (Ecstasy), was found.
The male driver was arrested and transported to the county jail. One passenger was cited for littering and released and the other three passengers were released to their parents without charges.
