CORONA: Two arrested after high-speed pursuit into Riverside

CORONA – Authorities arrested two subjects after a dangerous pursuit wound its way from the city of Corona to the city of Riverside Sunday morning, Jan. 15.

The pursuit eventually ended in the area of La Sierra and Indiana Avenues after the fleeing suspect crashed into another car and the two occupants fled from the disabled vehicle on foot into a nearby shopping center parking lot.

The incident began in Corona when a Corona police officer saw 1994 Honda Accord with paper license plates and no evidence of registration about 9:20 a.m.

When the officer attempted to conduct a traffic enforcement stop the driver of the vehicle, who was later identified as Jonathan Garcia, 29, of Riverside, accelerated away from the officer and fled onto the eastbound 91 Freeway at a high rate of speed.

The officer initiated a pursuit on the fleeing suspect.

During the pursuit, Garcia drove in an extremely reckless manner, without regard for the safety of other citizens or pursuing police officers.

The pursuit continued into Riverside “where the suspect ran a red light at a high rate of speed,” according to a Corona PD press release.

Based on the dangerous driving actions of the suspect, pursuing Corona police officers terminated their pursuit for the safety of other citizens.

The vehicle was last seen speeding eastbound in the area of La Sierra and Magnolia Avenues.

A short time later, officers located Garcia’s vehicle at the intersection of La Sierra and Indiana Avenues, where it had been involved in a collision with another vehicle. After the wreck, Garcia and a female companion fled on foot.

The female was later identified as Sabrina Telles, 24, of Perris.

Witnesses at the scene of the collision directed responding officers towards a nearby shopping center where Garcia and Telles were last seen running.

Riverside PD’s aviation unit Air-1 and Riverside PD patrol officers responded to the area to assist in searching for the two subjects.

With the helicopter’s assistance, officers eventually located Garcia and Telles, who had both altered their clothing in an attempt to elude apprehension.

Garcia was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of hit and run resulting in serious injuries, recklessly evading police, receiving stolen property, driving under the influence, various drug-related offenses and Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) revocation.

Telles was booked at the Corona Police Department on unspecified charges; however, officials later said they were not pursuing charges against her.

An online jail records search revealed Garcia is being held in lieu of $100,000 and he is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice Jan. 19.

 

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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.