Man sentenced to 2 years in prison for fleeing from police, theft charges

An Indio man who led police on a 15-mile chase from Indio to Thermal was sentenced today to two years in prison.

Luis Meza, 23, pleaded guilty last month to four felony charges — evading police, driving a stolen vehicle, purchasing or receiving a stolen vehicle and burglary.

Meza was arrested in April when officers from the La Quinta Special Enforcement Team spotted a white Ford F-150 matching the description of a truck that was reported stolen from Palm Desert, sheriff’s Sgt. David Smith said. At the time, Meza was under investigation by the team in connection with several
burglaries, thefts and stolen vehicles, authorities said.

When deputies tried to make a traffic stop at Jefferson Street and Miles Avenue in Indio, Meza took off and led them on a chase to Thermal, where he bailed out of the truck and tried to flee on foot, Smith said.

About a half-hour after Meza was initially spotted, he was taken into custody with the assistance of a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew and Palm Desert K9 team, the sergeant said.