High-speed chase of stolen car starts in Pittsburg ends in Antioch Wednesday night, suspect surrenders

The suspect’s vehicle with the front tires blown out in the intersection of Lone Tree Way and Bluerock Drive/Golf Course Road, Wed. night Sept. 20, 2017. photos by anonymous Antioch resident

Drove wrong way down city streets

By Allen Payton

A high-speed chase on Wednesday night at about 7:30 p.m. ended in Antioch at the intersection of Lone Tree Way and Bluerock Drive/Golf Course Road.

Antioch Police assisted after the fact.

According to Acting Sgt. Mike Mortimer of the Antioch Police Department, the pursuit was initiated by County Sheriff’s Deputies and Pittsburg Police joined in. The driver of the car ran it into a curb and blew out his front tires, then drove the car into the intersection of Bluerock Drive. He then got out of his car and onto the ground in the arrest position.

However, according to Jimmy Lee the Sheriff’s Dept Public Information Officer, the Sheriff’s Department wasn’t part of the chase.

“I checked with two station houses and our specialized team. None of them were involved. As far as I could tell we were not involved,” he said Friday morning.

Antioch Police use one of their vehicles to push the suspect’s vehicle out of the intersection.

Friday, 4:40 PM UPDATE: When reached for comment Pittsburg Police Captain Steve Albanese said, “the original incident started around 7 p.m. on Highway 4. One of our units had an alert from our ALPR (Automated License Plate Reader) tracking system that there was a stolen vehicle. They got in behind the vehicle. The car was actually over off Somersville. A small pursuit ensued on some of the surface streets bordering Antioch and Pittsburg.”

“As the pursuit began the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office helicopter came overhead and the vehicle actually started traveling the wrong way down one of the roads,” he continued. “So, all the patrol units backed off. The helicopter stayed overhead with the suspect vehicle.”

“Within a short time, the patrol units kind of trailed the helicopter, just kind of stayed out of the area and let the suspect vehicle go,” Albanese said. “The suspect vehicle became disabled in Antioch with the helicopter still overhead and the Antioch units along with the Pittsburg units moved in and took the suspect into custody without other resistance.”

Details about the suspect were not provided at this time.

Original post – A witness who provided some of the photos and chose not to be identified said, “They had the drug dog out and they rammed him I think from the Bluerock direction. They said it was a hot pursuit. I believe they laid down tracks because his front tires looked blown out.”

Antioch resident Denise Cantrell, who provided additional photos, said it was a high-speed chase that she witnessed on Buchanan at Somersville Road. She took Highway 4 to Hillcrest where she exited and saw a helicopter overhead and followed it down Davison to Lone Tree Way. That’s where she saw the results of the crash from the pursuit that continued onto Lone Tree Way.

See more photos on the Herald Facebook page and please check back later for details.


the attachments to this post:


chase photo 3


chase photo 2


chase photo 1


7 Comments to “High-speed chase of stolen car starts in Pittsburg ends in Antioch Wednesday night, suspect surrenders”

  1. Rjb says:

    Gotta love Antioch!

    • Publisher says:

      RJB,
      This time it really had nothing to do with Antioch. The chase just ended here.
      Allen Payton, Publisher

      • RJB says:

        I know, it’s just strange that they, chases, and arrests seem to end up in Antioch. Something in this city just attracts them like a magnet.

        • Publisher says:

          Actually at this point, without any additional information about the suspect, he may be from Antioch and was merely driving home when the chase ensued.
          Allen Payton, Publisher

  2. Kathryn Fitzpatrick says:

    I live on “C” St in Antioch, between 10th and 18th Streets – definitely not a “small surface street bordering Antioch and Pittsburg”. This was a full out, high speed pursuit down a residential street WHILE CHILDREN WERE OUTSIDE PLAYING! This was complete with helicopter flying overhead. This was extremely dangerous. I thought they must have been in pursuit of a high profile murder subject, not a stolen vehicle. I don’t know why the agencies involved thought this was a good idea. Totally unacceptable.

  3. jon says:

    that’s gotta suck living in Antioch.Its only getting worse.Thanks Obama.

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