San Diego man to stand trial for alleged carjacking, chase on I-10 from Calimesa to Palm Springs

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - A felon accused of carjacking a motorist at knifepoint in Calimesa and leading law enforcement officers on a chase into the Coachella Valley must stand trial on kidnapping and other charges, a judge ruled today.  

Steven Christopher Mata, 33, of San Diego, was arrested last month following the pursuit by Riverside County sheriff's deputies and Palm Springs police officers.

At the end of a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday, Superior Court Judge Emma Smith found there was sufficient evidence to bound Mata over for trial on the kidnapping count, as well as carjacking, auto theft, eluding a peace officer and sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and committing a felony while on probation.  

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for May 2 at the Banning Justice Center. Mata remains held in lieu of $200,000 bail at the nearby Smith Correctional Facility.

Sheriff's Sgt. Kirby Wooldridge said that shortly after 9 a.m. March 8, the defendant allegedly confronted a motorist in a Nissan Altima in Calimesa, brandished a knife and directed the victim, whose identity was not disclosed, to drive eastbound on Interstate 10.

The driver stopped in Banning and was able to get away from the probationer, Wooldridge said.

He said that afterward, the defendant picked up a friend and the two continued eastward in the stolen car.

Based on details provided by the victim, patrol deputies initiated a search for the Nissan, spotting it in the area of Haugen-Lehman Way and Tamarack Road in Whitewater, culminating in a vehicle pursuit, according to the sergeant.

"Due to the suspect's dangerous driving actions, deputies discontinued the pursuit,'' Wooldridge said. ``A short time later, Palm Springs Police Department officers located the vehicle on Indian Canyon Drive, north of Tramview Road.''

The sheriff's spokesman alleged that both Mata and his friend fled from the car on foot but were quickly apprehended and taken into custody without further incident. No one was injured.

After interviewing his friend, investigators determined they had nothing to do with the carjacking or chase and was let go.

Mata was booked into the Banning jail.   

Court records show he has a prior conviction in Riverside County for making criminal threats, as well as convictions in another jurisdiction that weren't listed.