Police share drone footage of stolen vehicle arrest in Cathedral City
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – A 45-year-old Palm Springs man was arrested after allegedly leading officers on a pursuit in a stolen vehicle and being involved in a hit-and-run crash, authorities announced.
Detectives from the Palm Springs Police Department Special Enforcement Unit were in the 68800 block of East Palm Canyon Drive in Cathedral City around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday when they observed the suspect and attempted to contact him.
SEU detectives briefly contacted the suspect, who quickly entered an older- model Toyota Tundra and drove away from the location, according to the police department.
Detectives began following the vehicle and requested that the Cathedral City Police Department conduct a traffic stop.
At the same time, the Cathedral City PD told SEU detectives that they had a pending call for service involving the same vehicle, which had allegedly been reported stolen.
SEU detectives followed the Tundra into Palm Springs, where a Palm Springs Police Department K-9 officer attempted a traffic enforcement stop, but the suspect allegedly failed to yield and a pursuit was initiated.
According to officers, the suspect initially drove at slow speeds before accelerating, prompting officers to terminate the pursuit due to public safety concerns.
The Palm Springs PD Real-Time Intelligence Center continued to monitor the vehicle through aerial surveillance as the suspect allegedly drove through multiple streets in Palm Springs, eventually returning to Cathedral City where he allegedly crashed the stolen vehicle into a used car lot.
The suspect allegedly fled on foot and ran into a nearby gas station after the crash.
SEU detectives and Cathedral City PD officers subsequently took the suspect into custody without further incident.
CCPD shared video of the incident on its social media page.
The suspect was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of unlawful taking or driving of vehicle, possession or receiving of a stolen vehicle, felony evading and theft-related prior conviction enhancement, the Palm Springs PD announced.
He is expected to appear in court on Monday at the Indio Larson Justice Center.
