Man Allegedly Leads Stockton Police On Chase, Ends Up Driving Into Canal
STOCKTON (CBS13) - A man who allegedly tried to run from police ended up in the water and in need of rescuing.
Just before 3 p.m. Thursday, deputies with the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office tried to stop a vehicle in the 2400 block of Mendocino Avenue in Stockton but the driver reportedly drove off.
After a short chase, the suspect's vehicle ended up in a canal in the area of Mission Road and River Drive and quickly sank. The driver, Ronald Baumback, 38, swam from the vehicle and ignored verbal commands from the deputies who were on the canal bank, San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office deputies.
Baumback reportedly tried to hide in the water/brush along one of the islands in the canal but soon found himself struggling to stay afloat. A sheriff's department boating had to assist in his rescue.
Baumback's vehicle was recovered from the water. A gun was allegedly found in the vehicle, which was not registered to the suspect, who is a felon. He was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on gun charges, being a felon in possession of a weapon, receiving stolen property, and evading a peace officer without regard to safety.