A felon accused of fleeing from sheriff’s deputies in a stolen car, racing through Moreno Valley until the vehicle became disabled, then running and hiding at someone’s residence, was charged Friday with felony evading, auto theft and other offenses.
Johnny Isaac Zuniga, 28, of Perris was arrested Wednesday after the Riverside County sheriff’s pursuit and search on the south end of Moreno Valley.
Along with the evading and theft counts, Zuniga is charged with hit-and-run resulting in property damage, receiving stolen property and a sentence-enhancing allegation of being a repeat car thief.
He’s being held on $150,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail and was slated to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to the sheriff’s department, about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, patrol deputies traveling west on Sunnymead Boulevard, near Indian Avenue, spotted a car that had just been reported stolen out of Menifee.
“Deputies attempted a vehicle stop, but the driver failed to yield, and a pursuit was initiated,” according to a sheriff’s statement.
The chase went southbound for roughly four miles, until the stolen car ran over a spike strip deployed by deputies, causing Zuniga to lose control and crash, sheriff’s officials said.
The defendant bailed out of the car and ran toward the Campanilia Fortuna Estates, where he vanished from sight, investigators alleged.
Deputies set up a perimeter and initiated a sweep of all surrounding residential streets. Roughly three hours later, they were alerted by “community members (who) advised Zuniga was hiding in their residence,” the sheriff’s department stated.
SWAT members went to the location and ordered the defendant to surrender, which he did without further incident.
No one was injured.
According to court records, Zuniga has prior convictions in Riverside County for domestic violence, assault resulting in great bodily injury, receiving a stolen vehicle and trespassing.