Man arrested after a police pursuit that ended in a crash while children were in backseat

A Beaumont man was arrested Wednesday evening after leading police on a pursuit that ended in a crash while his young children were in the vehicle.

The incident started at approximately 6:10 p.m. on Wednesday when Beaumont Police were notified of a possible child abduction at a business on the 1200 block of E. 6th Street, according a Facebook post by the department.

Police said officers later determined that the subject had been staying at a motel with another family member when he became distraught and left in his vehicle with his three young children.

"The family was concerned for the welfare of the children due to the man's declining mental health and drug use," reads the department's post.

An officer arriving to the scene spotted the man's vehicle, a gray colored Toyota Camry, and attempted to conduct an enforcement stop on the vehicle, however, police said the driver immediately fled Westbound on 6th Street in attempt to evade the officer.

The driver continued Westbound on to 6th Street and Beaumont Avenue, where he crashed into two other vehicles after running a red light. Officers ordered the man to step out of the vehicle but he failed to comply. Officers were able to subdue the subject and detain him.

The man's three children were found in the backseat of the vehicle. They were taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. The man was also taken to the hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.

The man is pending charges for three counts of willful cruelty to a child and evading a police officer. As part of the newsroom's policy, we will not publish the subject's name until they are charged by the Riverside County District Attorney's office.

Police added that they later learned that the man is a suspect in a Banning Police Department case involving a neighbor dispute that ended in gunfire. This case is still under investigation.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Beaumont Police Department On-Duty Watch Commander at 951-769-8500.