Weekend Police Chase Nets One Cathedral City Man In Custody
One of two men suspected of leading police on a car chase and throwing a firearm and ammunition from the vehicle was behind bars today.
The alleged driver, 33-year-old Fredrico Garza of Cathedral City, and his passenger, 30-year-old Ramon Ulloa of Palm Springs, were arrested on suspicion of several felony violations in the 3000 block of Escoba Drive shortly after 11:30 p.m. Friday, Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.
Garza was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and was expected to be arraigned Wednesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Ulloa posted $25,000 bail Sunday and was expected to be arraigned May 11, according to jail records.
On Friday night, someone reported a person climbing onto the roof of an apartment complex in the 300 block of North Saturmino Drive, Kovaleff said. A police officer saw a gold Ford Taurus driving away from the complex on the wrong side of the road, and saw the car’s passenger drinking from an alcoholic beverage container.
“The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the Ford Taurus, but the driver ran a red light and attempted to evade the officer, who was in a marked police vehicle,” Kovaleff said.
The officer chased the Taurus for about three miles, reaching up to 60 mph, he said.
“Officers observed several objects being thrown from the Ford Taurus during the pursuit,” he said.
The driver stopped abruptly in the 3000 block of Escoba, and the driver and passenger were arrested without incident. Officers found a loaded 9mm handgun, two loaded 9mm handgun magazines, a holster and a beer bottle that had all apparently been thrown from the car, and more than 35 9mm cartridges were recovered from the handgun and magazines, Kovaleff said.
Garza and Ulloa were arrested on suspicion of being felons in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle — both with prior offenses — carrying a loaded firearm in public, being in possession of a high-capacity magazine and ammunition and participation in a criminal street gang. Garza was also arrested on suspicion of evading a peace officer with reckless driving.
