Police chase ends in arrest of car thief

An Oakland man led police on a nearly hourlong pursuit Thursday, through residential streets and a creek before officers cornered him in a garage near Casa Grande High School in east Petaluma.|

An Oakland man led police on a nearly hourlong pursuit Thursday, through residential streets and a creek before officers cornered him in a garage near Casa Grande High School in east Petaluma.

Vejay J. Pacheco, 40, took off in a stolen silver Mitsubishi sedan when officers attempted to arrest him at gunpoint just after 1 p.m. on Lakeville Circle, according to the Petaluma Police Department. A resident had alerted police about the suspicious car, which authorities then learned had been stolen out of San Francisco, Lt. Ken Savano said.

Police had blocked the road when they attempted to arrest Pacheco. However, he drove directly toward an officer, swerving at the last second, narrowly missing the officer, who had been standing behind the door of a patrol car, Savano said in a news release. In swerving, he added, Pacheco nearly hit a resident standing on the curb.

Pacheco headed westbound on Frates Road and then turned onto Calle Ranchero Drive, according to police. He ditched the car when the street came to a dead end, jumping over a fence and into Adobe Creek.

A CHP helicopter was called to assist in the search. Pacheco led officers and K-9 units through the creek, over eight fences and backyards on Del Oro Circle, Savano said. Officer John Antonio and Sgt. Paul Gilman cornered the suspect in a garage on Del Oro Circle.

Officers found a replica firearm under the driver’s seat of the stolen car, as well as hypodermic needles and shaved car keys, commonly used in car thefts, Savano added.

Pacheco was booked into the Sonoma County Jail with a bail set at $30,000. He faces numerous charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, possession of stolen property, evading and resisting arrest.

The police pursuit forced school officials to temporarily lock down Casa Grande High, just across from where police arrested Pacheco. Police requested the school be locked down around 1:45 p.m. as a safety measure, according to a school official. Students were in class at the time and the campus reopened within a half-hour, she said.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.

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