CHP, Sheriff's Pursue 3 Stolen Mail Suspects Around Orange County
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — The CHP and Sheriff's Department chased three mail suspects around Orange County Friday afternoon.
It was unclear what type of mail the suspects reportedly stole.
The chase reportedly started in the Laguna area of Nellie Gail after witnesses allegedly saw the suspects stealing mail.
Sky9's Stu Mundel said the suspect -- in a 2011 Honda Civic -- was driving recklessly, blew through red lights and on at least two occasions drove on the wrong side of the road.
The suspect also drove excessively fast on surface streets. He also narrowly missed several vehicles during the pursuit. The suspect also drove over medians to which Mundel said, "He's not in a 4-wheel vehicle. That has to be doing some damage to his Honda Civic."
At various times during the chase, the suspect could be seen talking on a cellphone.
There are, Mundel reported, at least three people in the vehicle.
Mundel also reported that the suspects were shown throwing what appeared to be mail out of the window during the pursuit.
The 90-minute chase has gone through Laguna, Tustin, Anaheim, Norwalk and Downey.
After almost an hour, it appeared Sheriff's were going to attempt a PIT maneuver to bring the chase to an end. Sheriff's made several attempts but failed to connect with the suspect's vehicle.
The suspect squeezed past a dozen vehicles to wend his way back onto the 5 Freeway.
Back on surface streets, Sheriff's pulled back on the ground pursuit fearing for public safety. They continued to closely monitor the suspects from the air.
At 4:30, the driver jumped out of the vehicle at Florence Avenue and Lakewood Boulevard, appeared to toss something out of his pocket. ran about half a block but went to the ground and gave himself up.
Officials said the two passengers have also been taken into custody. Downey Police and LA County Sheriff's also assisted in the pursuit.
Friday evening, the Orange County Sheriff's Department identified the suspects as 45-year-old David Brown -- the driver; 55-year-old Jessie Brown and 22-year-old Corey Richardson. All the suspects are Anaheim residents.
Orange County Sheriff's said some of the mail that was allegedly stolen was recovered. Investigators said they were conducting an inventory of the vehicle's contents to determine if the trio was responsible for any other crimes in Laguna Hills and surrounding jurisdictions.
The three suspects were arrested on stolen property and felony evading charges. Officials said additional charges are possible at the conclusion of a preliminary investigation.
The Orange County Sheriff's department on Sunday asked anyone with information on the suspects to call 714-647-7000 to speak with investigators.
