Police pursuit of auto-theft suspect ends in National City

 SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — An auto-theft suspect driving an allegedly stolen truck led police today on a chase from National City to Encanto, where officers forced the pickup to a halt and arrested him with help from a service dog.

The pursuit began in the area of Euclid Avenue and Plaza Boulevard about 4 p.m., authorities said.

San Diego and National City police chased the man over various roads for about a half-hour before the truck ran over a tire-flattening spike strip that officers had laid in its path at 65th Street and Wunderlin Avenue, SDPD Officer Tony Martinez said.

The suspect continued to the south and west for a short time, driving on two rims now covered only with tatters of rubber, then pulled to a stop on Fergus Street, near Imperial Avenue.

Though surrounded and boxed in, the man refused to surrender for several minutes, until officers released a police dog that leaped onto him and dragged him to the pavement.

Officers then swarmed the suspect and took him into custody. His name was not immediately available.