Short police chase ends with two arrests

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A man who allegedly led police on a brief road chase
over Colina del Sol-area streets, at one point getting into a non-injury crash
with a squad car, was behind bars Tuesday and facing a slate of criminal charges.

Officers tried to pull over Jiovani G. Guerrero for traffic violations
in the 4900 block of Trojan Avenue about 7:45 p.m. Monday, according to San
Diego police.

Guerrero, who had a female passenger riding with him, allegedly refused
to yield and fled over various streets in the neighborhood, with officers
tailing him in cruisers and aboard a patrol helicopter, SDPD public-affairs Lt.
Kevin Mayer said.

The 29-year-old suspect soon steered into a driveway and stopped the
car, and police pulled in behind him, Mayer said. As several officers
approached on foot, Guerrero allegedly accelerated in reverse toward them,
crashed his vehicle into a parked police car and sped off again.

When the fleeing man began driving the wrong way toward oncoming
traffic, the ground officers backed off and let the airborne personnel
continued tracking him.

The pursuit, which lasted less than 10 minutes, ended when the fleeing
motorist pulled over on 52nd Place and ran off into nearby Colina Park along
with his female companion, later identified as Anne Marie Legrave, 25.

Reaching the 4100 block of 54th Place, Guerrero climbed over a gate
outside a residential complex and ran off onto its grounds. Legrave remained
outside the entranceway and was taken into custody moments later.

About two minutes later, officers found Guerrero between two apartment
buildings and arrested him on suspicion of assault, evading police, obstructing
peace officers, driving on a suspended license and other charges.

He was booked into San Diego Central Jail, where he was being held
without bail pending arraignment, slated for Thursday afternoon.

Legrave was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest and was released on
bond late this morning, a jail clerk said. Her preliminary court appearance in
the case was scheduled for Aug. 6.