HEMET: Man arrested after dangerous, high speed pursuit
HEMET — Details are still emerging after authorities arrested a man who led them on a dangerous, high-speed pursuit through several residential neighborhoods in Hemet, Monday afternoon, Jan. 15.
A man who led police on a dangerous, high-speed pursuit is led to a patrol vehicle after he was apprehended. Will Whelan/Hemet Valley Incidents photo
The pursuit began shortly before 3:30 p.m., when City of Hemet police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on an older, grey, Honda.
Although it was not immediately known why officers attempted to stop the car, the driver – who has not yet been publicly identified – was believed to be armed with a gun and refused to yield to officers’ lights and sirens and fled from them at high speed.
When the man refused to stop officers initiated a vehicle pursuit; however, the unidentified suspect, described as a Hispanic male adult fled from officials in an extremely reckless manner, without regard or the safety of other citizens or pursuing officers.
The driver failed to stop or even slow down for any posted stop signs or traffic signals and fled through city streets and residential neighborhoods.
Official radio traffic at the time indicated the suspect hit speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour, at times driving on the wrong side of the road and into oncoming traffic, nearly colliding with other vehicles several different times.
The pursuit ended when the driver fled from the moving vehicle in the area of Buena Vista Street and Florida Avenue. As the man ran from the car, it continued rolling until it jumped a curb and came to rest against a fire hydrant.
As the alleged suspect was running from officers he fled across Florida Avenue and was seen throwing what appeared to be a handgun onto a rooftop. Officers continued chasing the fleeing man on foot, eventually apprehending him behind United Way after using a Taser to temporarily stun the man.
He was taken into custody without further incident.
Hemet Fire Department was summoned to where the suspect had been seen throwing the possible firearm onto the roof to assist in locating and recovering the item.
This is a developing story that will be updated if additional information becomes available.
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Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor 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, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 14 grandchildren.