Police arrested a man suspected of multiple crimes – including an attack on a police officer and two truck thefts – Saturday after a pursuit that caused at least three wrecks.
The situation began Friday afternoon when a witness notified Chula Vista police that a man had smashed the window of a car in Walmart’s parking lot in the 1100 block of Broadway.
An officer arrived and recognized the man as a known criminal, according to OnScene.TV.
The suspect allegedly attacked the officer, hitting him in the face with a heavy wrench and knocking him down.
The officer was treated and released at a local hospital, but the suspect fled.
About 12 hours later, at 2 a.m. Saturday, National City police spotted the suspect in a stolen Dodge Ram truck, and gave chase, OnScene.TV reported.
The suspect led them through the city and onto southbound Interstate 805, where their speeds reached over 100 mph. When the suspect exited at H Street in Chula Vista, he made a U-turn, heading the wrong direction on the ramp, where he hit a National City patrol vehicle.
The officer was uninjured and the chase continued, as the suspect proceeded northbound in the southbound lanes at high speed. At E Street, the suspect’s vehicle collided with a Toyota SUV driven by a freelance journalist who suffered a broken arm.
The suspect, according to OnScene.TV, though injured, fled on foot. At 3 a.m., National City police spotted him again, this time in a different stolen truck, and chased him onto the eastbound lanes of state Route 94.
During the pursuit, the suspect turned around, to travel west on the eastbound side, where he caused another accident.
Police eventually caught up with him near Mount Hope Cemetery, where he was treated for an injured leg. OnScene.TV reported that he faces several felony charges.