A parolee previously convicted of car theft and attempted carjacking pleaded guilty Tuesday and was sentenced to 13 years in prison for leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a wild chase from Fullerton through Los Angeles County, stealing a van and work truck along the way before he finally got caught at a Whittier gas station.
Johnny Anchondo, 34, of Moreno Valley, pleaded guilty to a count of carjacking, a count of burglary, eight counts of assault with a weapon on a peace officer, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of theft with a prior conviction for car theft, a count of attempted vehicle theft, a count of leading police on a chase with reckless driving, three counts of vandalism, and a count of leading police on a chase in the opposite land of traffic, all felonies.
He pleaded guilty as well to three counts of hit and run with property damage, a count of brandishing a weapon and a count of possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.
Anchondo accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge Larry Yellin, who approved of 883 days credit behind bars since his arrest, according to court records.
Fullerton police attempted to pull Anchondo over at about 6:45 p.m. Nov. 9, 2022, for traffic violations, but he kept going and led police on a chase to a condominium complex, where he dumped the car and ran away, prosecutors said.
Anchondo then jumped into a white van, and despite police attempting to hem him in, he rammed the vehicle in reverse against a squad car to get away, prosecutors said.
The chase, which reached speeds of nearly 100 mph, wound through northern Orange County to Whittier, where Anchondo dumped the broken-down van and ran into a home, where he grabbed keys and stole a work truck, prosecutors said.
Anchondo allegedly nearly crashed the work truck into several Los Angeles County sheriff’s squad cars in a cul de sac as he turned around and kept going. He crashed the truck into two other cars before the truck was rammed by two Los Angeles County sheriff’s squad cars, prosecutors said.
Anchondo nearly ran over two deputies, prompting gunfire from law enforcement, prosecutors said. The defendant was not injured in the gunfire.
Anchondo was convicted in December 2021 in Los Angeles County of attempted carjacking, according to the criminal complaint.