Suspects in separate stolen car pursuits evade Antioch police; patrol car hit by gunfire
Stolen vehicle suspects evaded Antioch police officers in two separate incidents Sunday night, with one group of suspects shooting at a pursuing patrol car, police said.
Antioch police said officers were advised of a stolen vehicle out of San Francisco seen in the area of Lone Tree Way and Deer Valley Road at about 10:26 p.m. An officer located the vehicle about a mile east near Longbranch Way and Prairie Way.
When the officer pulled up behind the vehicle, the driver took off at a high rate of speed, police said. During the pursuit by the officer, someone from inside the stolen vehicle opened fire at the officer. While the officer was not hit, several rounds struck the patrol vehicle, police said.
The police chase continued east into Brentwood and onto state Highway 4 at Jeffrey Way, but officers lost sight of the vehicle in the area of Golf Course Drive and Cache Peak in Antioch.
The vehicle was later located abandoned near Kaiser Hospital on Deer Valley Road in Antioch. Police said as officers returned to the original crime scene to look for evidence, a second stolen vehicle out of Concord was seen driving without any headlights on.
Officers began a second vehicle pursuit along with Brentwood police, but the occupants of the second stolen vehicle eventually abandoned the car near Lone Tree Way and Heidorn Ranch Road and fled on foot, police said. A search for the suspects was unsuccessful; officers did find a rifle and shell casings.
No one was hurt and additional information was not available. Anyone with information about either incident was asked to call Lieutenant Martin at 925-779-6972 or the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925)778-2441.