Two Suspects Arrested Following Assault at Recycling Center and Vehicle Pursuit
MURRIETA, CA – Two individuals were taken into custody on multiple felony charges on May 7th following an assault at a local business, a pursuit on Interstate 15, and a successful Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver.
The incident began when Murrieta police officers responded to reports of a robbery at a recycling center located within the Ralph’s shopping center on Washington Avenue. According to police reports, two suspects assaulted an employee, causing serious injuries, before fleeing the location in a black Ford Expedition.
Shortly after the incident, a community member contacted 911 to report a reckless driver operating a vehicle near Washington Avenue and Murrieta Valley High School. Officers identified the vehicle as the Ford Expedition involved in the earlier assault and attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the Interstate 15 freeway. The driver failed to yield, prompting supervisors to authorize a vehicle pursuit as the suspects traveled northbound on the freeway.
The California Highway Patrol Air Operations helicopter (Air Five-One) monitored the vehicle from the air as the pursuit moved off the freeway and continued southbound on Temescal Canyon Road in the Lake Elsinore area. To terminate the pursuit, an officer received authorization to utilize a PIT maneuver. The officer made intentional contact with the Ford Expedition, bringing the vehicle to a stop without any reported injuries.
Both the driver and the passenger were secured by officers at the scene. Investigators determined that the driver possessed an active felony warrant and was in possession of narcotics. Both individuals were subsequently transported and booked into the Cois M. Byrd Correctional Facility on numerous felony charges.
