Woman jumps from vehicle pursued by Santa Rosa police; driver charged with false imprisonment
SANTA ROSA – A stolen Jeep SUV, pursued by police at high speed Saturday through the north side of Santa Rosa, slowed long enough to take a corner and a female passenger jumped out, police said.
At around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, officers patrolling the area Cleveland Avenue and Bicentennial Way saw a black Jeep SUV that had been reported as possibly stolen. Police checked the license plate and confirmed it was reported stolen. Information was broadcast and officers began following the vehicle while waiting for additional patrol units to respond.
Once sufficient units arrived in the area, police attempted a traffic stop near Chanate Road. The SUV accelerated rapidly and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The suspect drove the stolen vehicle at high speeds back westbound on Fountaingrove Parkway, attempting to elude officers in the Rincon Ridge Drive neighborhood.
As the driver rounded a corner, he slowed briefly and a female passenger jumped out of the vehicle. She immediately surrendered to officers and said the driver had refused her pleas and screams to let her go, police said.
The driver, identified as Javier Contreras, 42, was charged with false imprisonment and attempting to elude police with wanton disregard for safety, among other violations, officials said. He was booked at the Sonoma County Jail.
The woman's identity and age weren't disclosed.
The chase ended when the vehicle ran into an embankment. The driver fled on food and was tackled as he tried to jump a fence, police said.