Saturday, February 15, 2025

Suspect arrested after fleeing Ukiah Police, smashing through fences and trees

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The following is a press release from the Ukiah Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:


A stolen vehicle rests against a tree in Ukiah after a high-speed police pursuit ended in a dramatic crash [Photo from UPD]

On 01/14/2025 at approximately 12:50 a.m., the Ukiah Police Department (UPD) Dispatch Center received a call from a citizen reporting that two male subjects had just attempted to break into his vehicle. The reporting party was inside the vehicle at the time, in the 300 block of Washington Avenue. The reporting party further stated that the two males were wearing black clothing and were last seen traveling on foot towards Nokomis School (495 Washington Avenue).

During the UPD officer’s response, a second reporting party contacted the UPD Dispatch Center and stated that two male subjects had just tried to break into their vehicle in the 500 block of Nokomis Drive and were currently on foot traveling towards Observatory Avenue, via Marwen Drive.

A third reporting party contacted the UPD Dispatch Center and stated that the subjects tried to break into their vehicle at 429 Nokomis Drive, and the reporting party had video surveillance cameras.

UPD officers arrived in the area shortly after the first call to dispatch and were receiving the second and third calls while in the area. There have been multiple vehicle thefts that have occurred in this area recently, and UPD officers have identified Gabriel Chaon as a person of interest in these crimes. It should be noted Chaon is on formal felony probation out of Mendocino County for a previous violation of 10851 VC (stolen vehicle).

While searching the area, a UPD officer observed Chaon attempting to jump over a fence at Nokomis School. The UPD officer was very familiar with Chaon and tried to contact him. Chaon immediately fled on foot eastbound on Washington Avenue. He jumped over a resident’s fence in the 300 block of Washington Avenue, traveling southbound. The UPD officer lost sight of Chaon. Assisting UPD officers and members of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) began checking the surrounding area.

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A short time later, an MCSO deputy was heard on the radio saying they observed a gray-colored Hyundai traveling recklessly at a high rate of speed on Wabash Avenue. A UPD sergeant was parked with his lights turned off at the intersection of Faul Avenue and Laws Avenue. The UPD sergeant observed the gray Hyundai turn eastbound onto Tedford Avenue from Laurel Avenue. The UPD sergeant positioned his vehicle behind the Hyundai and observed that the driver, later identified as Chaon, was driving all over the road and nearly crashed into the northeast curb when turning northbound onto South Dora Street from Tedford Avenue.

The UPD sergeant requested an additional officer respond to conduct a traffic enforcement stop on the vehicle. An additional UPD officer arrived in the area, and a traffic enforcement stop was initiated at Beacon Lane and South State Street. Based on Chaon’s driving, it was suspected that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The UPD sergeant activated his emergency lights, and Chaon immediately turned northbound on South State Street and accelerated rapidly. The UPD sergeant initiated a vehicle pursuit due to the severity of the driving observations prior to the stop.

Chaon traveled at a high rate of speed, running red lights and almost crashing into multiple objects in complete disregard for the safety of others. As he approached the intersection of South State Street and Talmage Road, he abruptly turned through the Speedway Gas Station property (1105 S. State Street), almost crashing into the gasoline pumps before entering Talmage Road and traveling eastbound. Chaon continued with his reckless evading, turning northbound onto Betty Street. Chaon traveled at an extremely high rate of speed over the speed control bumps, causing his vehicle to leave the ground before turning eastbound onto Marlene Street. Chaon proceeded through the stop sign at Lorraine Street, then turned northbound on South Orchard Avenue. Chaon turned eastbound onto Cindee Drive, turning north and back out to South Orchard Avenue.

As Chaon began traveling northbound, he abruptly jerked the wheel and accelerated, ramming through a hydraulic gate at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses (734 South Orchard Avenue). The gate was torn from its hinges and went airborne over the top of Chaon’s vehicle. Chaon did not slow down. Rather, he accelerated around the back of the church and south towards a chain-linked fence that bordered the Ukiah Autumn Leaves apartment complex (425 East Gobbi Street). As Chaon approached the fence, he again accelerated, ramming through the fence and off the paved road. He continued southbound along the east side of the complex, ramming through small trees/bushes, planter boxes, water lines, and eventually hitting a raised bocce ball court curb, causing the vehicle to crash head-on with an oak tree.

The UPD sergeant had exited his vehicle near the chain-linked fence and began pursuing Chaon on foot, knowing that he would not likely be able to re-enter a roadway. The UPD sergeant observed the crash and approached the vehicle with his department-issued handgun drawn and pointed towards the vehicle. As the UPD sergeant got within 10 yards of the vehicle, the driver’s side door swung open. The UPD sergeant, while pointing his firearm at Chaon, ordered him out of the vehicle and onto the ground. To prevent Chaon from fleeing any further, the UPD sergeant jumped on top of Chaon and placed him into handcuffs without further incident.

During a search of Chaon incident to arrest, a large, fixed-blade knife was located concealed inside the front waistline of his pants. Chaon’s airbag had deployed, causing injuries to his face that were actively bleeding. The UPD sergeant, not knowing the extent of the injuries, requested a Code-3 (lights and sirens) medical response to provide medical aid to Chaon. Chaon was ultimately transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital and found to only have sustained superficial injuries.

While on scene, it was determined that the registered owner of the vehicle Chaon was driving lived on Yokayo Court, which was directly in line with the direction Chaon traveled after fleeing on foot from the UPD officer. A UPD officer responded to the residence on Yokayo Court and contacted the registered owner, a 25-year-old female from Ukiah. The registered owner stated that her keys were missing from inside the residence and nobody had permission to drive her vehicle. During the investigation, it was found that Chaon had entered the residence, stolen the keys to the vehicle, and then stolen the vehicle without the owner’s consent.

UPD officers later located additional attempted vehicle thefts that occurred in close proximity to the originally reported attempted thefts.

Based on Chaon’s driving behaviors and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person, a search warrant for his blood was authored. A Mendocino County Superior Court judge reviewed the warrant and granted the blood draw, which was conducted at the hospital. Once medically cleared for incarceration, Chaon was transported to the Mendocino County Jail to be booked for the above-listed charges.

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8 COMMENTS

    • I’d draw the line definitely at smashing through the hydraulic gate of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Not too keen either at running into the curbs at a bocce ball court. Show some respect!

  1. A born stuntman! Give that guy a job in the movies. I can see a film about how a wild ride leads a wayward local to the White House after the mayor tries to deport him as an illegal based on some lies from the president of the United States.

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MendoFever Staff
MendoFever Staff
Editor's Note: Whenever an article's byline reads "MendoFever Staff", the contents of that article were not composed by any of our reporters. Types of writing that will be attributed to "MendoFever Staff" include press releases, letters to the editor, op-eds, obituaries— essentially writing that is not produced by a reporter.

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