A man driving a stolen SUV led police on a slow- speed pursuit Thursday that ended in Seal Beach, where he initially refused to get out of the vehicle and repeatedly sipped a beer while talking to officers before ultimately surrendering.
Raul Negrete, 29, of Westminster, was booked on suspicion of auto theft and evading police and his passenger, Jonni Daniella Huerta, 30, of Anaheim, for alleged possession of stolen property, said Westminster police Cmdr. Cameron Knauerhaze.
About 9:45 a.m., Los Angeles police alerted Westminster officers about a stolen 2016 Mazda CX-5, Knauerhaze said. A GPS device in the white SUV indicated it was heading toward Westminster Boulevard and Monroe Street, Knauerhaze said.
Westminster police picked up the vehicle’s trail about a minute later as the driver turned onto Westminster Boulevard. Officers attempted to make a traffic stop, but the motorist refused and the pursuit was on, Knauerhaze said.
The pursuit continued through Huntington Beach, where officers attempted to stop the SUV with spike strips and an Anaheim police helicopter crew helped track the Mazda from the air, Knauerhaze said.
Police received information during the pursuit that the driver may have been armed, Knauerhaze said.
The chase continued for about 45 minutes until the SUV was blocked by police vehicles at Pacific Coast Highway near the Seal Beach/Sunset Beach border, Knauerhaze said.
Huerta got out of the vehicle after a short standoff and surrendered without incident, Knauerhaze said. Negrete, however, refused to get out of the vehicle until the arrival of SWAT officers, Knauerhaze said.
During the relatively low-speed pursuit, the driver was seen at times shouting at officers following him.
At the end of the pursuit, an armored police truck was driven to the front of the vehicle to block its path, while the driver continued to lean out the door, occasionally drinking from a bottle of beer.
Shortly before 11:30 a.m., the driver exited the SUV, stripped off his shirt and raised his hands, but continued to shout in an agitated fashion at officers. He ultimately backed toward them with his hands on his head, dropped to his knees and was taken into custody.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
—City News Service