A man and woman in a stolen pickup truck crashed through the wall of an abandoned building in Menifee Thursday, leading to one of the suspects being apprehended, while the other eluded capture.
The crash occurred about 12:20 p.m. in the area of Sherman Road and Highway 74, according to the Menifee Police Department.
Capt. Chris Karrer told City News Service that 35-year-old Andres Godoy and 24-year-old Ashley Cerda, both of Perris, allegedly stole the utility pickup from a resident of the Quail Valley community, prompting the victim to immediately call 911 as he watched the suspects flee in his vehicle.
Menifee police officers swarmed the area, and a patrol unit spotted the pickup as it sped by him on eastbound Highway 74, Karrer said.
“Our officer turned around. However, the truck was already out of sight,” the captain said.
He said that officers quickly located the vehicle “crashed into an unoccupied building near Sherman Road.”
Officers fanned out and located Cerda nearby, taking her into custody without incident, according to Karrer, who added that she was not injured.
She was booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta for outstanding warrants.
Karrer said that the search for Godoy is ongoing.
Riverside County Fire Department crews removed the pickup from the building.
A fire captain requested that city building inspectors assess whether the property needed to be red-tagged due to the damage.
Technicians from both SoCal Edison and SoCal Gas were also summoned to ensure electrical and natural gas lines were not compromised.
The operation concluded about 3 p.m.