Ventura County – The quiet town of Santa Paula was anything but in the early evening hours of May 8th when local police officers on routine patrol spotted a Ford Expedition flying down a residential street far in excess of posted speed limits.
As is customary, the Santa Paula Police unit’s red lights lit up and the cops hung a U-turn to conduct a routine traffic stop when the Expedition—one of the largest passenger vehicles on the road—suddenly and without any apparent reason crashed into a pair of parked cars. As the police unit approached both of those inside the now inoperable Expedition—later identified as Jacob Escobedo, 28, and Natane Chapman, 22, alighted and quickly made haste to remove themselves from the scene.
According to Santa Paul Police Department spokesman Cdr. Ismael Cordero, “Escobedo was able to escape custody and Chapman was taken into custody hiding in a storage yard.” The ensuing examination of the crashed SUV led to the discovery of “a loaded rifle, a loaded revolver, and metal knuckles.”
Escobedo, already a wanted parole violator, “should be considered armed and dangerous,” Cordero noted, and is facing multiple felony charges including those involving his gang membership and possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of stolen property (the loaded revolver), and possession of a loaded firearm (both the rifle and the revolver).
For her part, Chapman was transported to Ventura County Jail where she was booked on charges of convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of metal knuckles, and possession of stolen property.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
Read more:
Citizens Journal: Santa Paula police search for Escobedo
VCStar: One arrest in Santa Paula, second wanted
