Suspect Chased In Indio As Cathedral City Officer Laid To Rest
A week after a police officer lost his life during a vehicle chase, officers decided to break off a pursuit of an Indio man accused of hitting his wife, who was later arrested.
Edward Cortez, 24, was eventually arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife at a residence in Indio.
Police responded to the 82000 block of Valencia Street at 10:23 a.m. and began pursuing Cortez, who fled from the home in a Ford Explorer.
The chase began at normal speeds on city streets, but then moved onto eastbound Interstate 10. Officers followed the suspect at speeds of 70 to 80 mph, but after he was identified, they broke off the chase.
“They called it off because they felt they already knew who it was, so we’d catch him another day,” Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron said. “(Such a decision) depends on what (identifications) we have and the danger to the public.”
As the suspect transitioned onto the 86 Expressway in Coachella, Indio police notified the California Highway Patrol of his location. When CHP officers attempted to stop the man north of Mecca, at Lincoln and 62nd Avenue, at 10:46 a.m., he complied.
The abbreviated chase came on the same day funeral services were held for Cathedral City police Officer Jermaine Gibson, 28, who was killed last week when he crashed during a high-speed pursuit in Palm Springs.
