Search For Santa Rosa Man Who Crashed After Police Chase
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- Police are searching for 22-year-old Santa Rosa resident Eric Diaz-Pineda who crashed a vehicle with his infant son aboard while attempting to evade police in Santa Rosa on Friday evening.
At about 6:15 p.m., an officer searching for distracted drivers as part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, observed Diaz-Pineda driving a 1998 white BMW 320i sedan talking on a cellphone near West Ninth Street.
The officer was driving a marked police vehicle when he pulled up behind the suspect vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, according to police.
Diaz-Pineda, a documented gang participant who is on felony probation, failed to stop and sped away from the officer, police said.
The vehicle sped through residential streets and through stop signs at multiple intersections, police said.
Police said Diaz-Pineda abandoned the vehicle while it was still in motion, causing the vehicle to collide with an unoccupied vehicle in the 800 block of Coulter Street.
Diaz-Pineda left his 15-month-old infant son and his 21-year-old girlfriend inside the vehicle, police said.
The infant was properly restrained and was not injured, according to police.
Diaz-Pineda fled the area on foot and was last seen jumping over fences of nearby residences.
A perimeter was set up and a K9 unit was deployed, but Diaz-Pineda was not located, police said.
Police were able to identify the suspect because he left his wallet and cellphone inside the vehicle.
According to Santa Rosa police, Diaz-Pineda has three outstanding warrants for his arrest, including a felony no-bail warrant, a $50,000 felony warrant, and $1,000 misdemeanor warrant.
Diaz-Pineda is now additionally wanted on the felony charges of reckless evading and child endangerment, police said.
Anyone with information regarding Diaz-Pineda's whereabouts is asked to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department at (707) 543-5222.
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