The following is a press release the Ukiah Police Department. This has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On 07-22-2023 at approximately 1510 hours, UPD Officers were notified of a stolen vehicle via the FLOCK camera system. UPD Dispatch was also notified and confirmed the vehicle was stolen out of Lake County. Officers began to respond to the location of the stolen vehicle and while en-route a UPD officer observed the stolen vehicle traveling northbound in the 900 block of S. Dora St.
The officer notified UPD Dispatch and other officers who were responding to the area. The officer made a U-turn to get behind the stolen vehicle and conduct a traffic enforcement stop. As the officer activated overhead emergency lights and siren, the stolen vehicle immediately began to recklessly speed away westbound on Mendocino Dr. The officer initiated a vehicle pursuit which led them back to S. Dora St. where the pursuing officer was joined by other officers.
Officers pursued the stolen vehicle as it drove northbound on S. Dora St. to N. Dora St. and eventually to the Todd Grove Park area where officers lost sight of the stolen vehicle. The park was occupied by numerous people who pointed the officers in the direction of where the stolen vehicle had gone. Officers continued to the 1000 block of Maple Ave. where they began to check the area for the stolen vehicle.
One of the officers located the vehicle in the 900 block of Dominican Way where it collided with a concrete retaining wall. The officer immediately notified the other officers who responded to the area. Officers observed a 17-year-old juvenile across the street from the vehicle who claimed to be a witness. Officers detained the juvenile subject and he was later identified by a witness as the driver of the stolen vehicle.
A perimeter was setup to look for the passenger who had foot bailed from the vehicle prior to the Officer locating it. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area and deployed an unmanned aircraft to search the area of the Golf Course and Orr Creek. After approximately one and a half hours of searching for the passenger, officers were unable to locate the individual and canceled the search.
The driver was later transported to Juvenile Hall where he was booked and lodged for the aforementioned charges.
The Ukiah Police Department would like to thank MCSO and CHP for their assistance with this investigation.
As always, UPD’s mission is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cellphone, and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website; www.ukiahpolice.com