Wanted & armed felon nabbed after Hemet pursuit ends with crash
HEMET, Calif., — Authorities say a dangerous, high-speed pursuit that ended with a crash in Hemet led to the arrest of a wanted felon early Saturday morning, Jan. 15. After his arrest, the man was found to be in possession of cocaine and a loaded firearm with an extended 30-round magazine.
The pursuit was the first of two such incidents to occur in the San Jacinto valley on Saturday morning, followed by another high-speed chase of a wanted felon that began in San Jacinto, traveled to the Cactus Valley area, and then ended when the suspect abandoned his stolen vehicle and fled on foot in Hemet.
The man involved in the second pursuit was apprehended and later booked on suspicion of vehicle theft, recklessly evading, and resisting arrest. He was also booked on warrants for three counts of spousal abuse/domestic violence, child endangerment, battery, and violation of state parole.
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At around 12:45 a.m., Sheriff’s Region 3 Gang Task Force members observed a Nissan sedan with vehicle code violations being driven in Hemet and conducted a traffic enforcement stop, Riverside Sheriff’s Region 3 Gang Task Force Sergeant Art Paez has since reported.
Although the driver, later identified as 27-year-old Denzel Eugene Siah, initially yielded to the traffic stop and pulled over, he sped away as Task Force officers approached the vehicle.
Denzel Siah was arrested after a high-speed pursuit that ended with a crash in Hemet early Saturday morning. RSO booking photo
Task Force officers initiated a vehicle pursuit that continued eastbound on Florida Avenue at a high rate of speed; however, the chase was quickly terminated due to public safety concerns, according to Paez.
A short time later, an uninvolved City of Hemet patrol officer reported that the Nissan had collided with a parked vehicle in the 100 Block of N. Inez Street and updated that Denzel was seen running from the vehicle.
Responding to the area, Task Force officers and Hemet PD patrol officers located Siah hiding near a business on N. Front Street where he was taken into custody.
Siah was found to have two felony warrants, including a no bail PRCS violation. He was also found to have a small amount of cocaine and a backpack he was running with was found to contain a loaded Glock 9mm with a 30-round magazine.
SEE RELATED: Pursuit that traveled through San Jacinto valley ends with arrest in Hemet
Based on their investigation and findings, Task Force officers arrested Siah and he was later booked into the Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of felony evading, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, having a firearm with an altered serial number, possession of narcotics while in possession of a firearm, and resisting arrest.
He was also booked on warrants for spousal abuse, assault with a deadly weapon likely to result in great bodily injury, DUI, and violation of PRCS probation.
Online jail records indicate he remains in custody where he is being held without bail.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
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. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.