Frequent Offender Allegedly Rams 3 Police Cars and Injures One Sheriff’s Deputy
Photo: File photo of Jose L. Baraja-Savalos | Solano County Sheriff’s Office
OAKLAND — A frequent offender on probation allegedly rammed three police cars in pursuit of him. One Alameda County Sheriff’s Office deputy suffered minor injuries and two police vehicles were disabled.
On May 16 at 2 p.m. deputies spotted a stolen car traveling westbound on Interstate 580. It was in the vicinity of Estudillo Avenue in San Leandro. Deputies followed the car as more units joined the chase.
The wayward driver eventually pulled into a parking lot near 35th Avenue and East 12th Street in Oakland. Deputies surrounded him and attempted to stop him, but he instead rammed into the three occupied police cars.
Oakland resident, 27-year-old Jose L. Baraja-Savalos, managed to escape temporarily from deputies on the ground. However, overhead a sheriff’s office helicopter monitored the stolen car.
Barajas-Savalos exited from this stolen car on the 700 block of High Street in Oakland. He hid inside a parked vehicle, before he was placed under arrest at 2:48 p.m.
He was booked for vehicle theft, hit-and-run, and assault on an officer, among other offenses. Barajas-Savalos is one of the regulars at Alameda County Santa Rita Jail. He remains in custody in lieu of $75,000 bond. Only three days earlier, he was arrested for domestic violence and making threats with intent to terrorize.
Unemployed, this repeat offender has an extensive criminal history, including nine arrests for vehicle thefts. Barajas-Savalos has problems with illicit drugs and DUIs too. Since 2017, he has been arrested 11 times for possession of controlled substances. He has eight prior arrests for DUI alcohol/drugs.
