A suspect fleeing in a stolen vehicle led Lassen County Sheriff’s Deputies, Susanville Police and California Highway Patrol officers on a pursuit that reached 80 miles an hour this morning, before he was arrested on the campus of Lassen High School after abandoning the car on Weatherlow Street.
At approximately 11:05a.m., a Deputy with the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office was patrolling in the area of Lake Forest when he observed a traffic violation made by the driver of a gold colored Honda Civic turning from Lake Forest onto County Road A-1 towards Highway 36.
According to LCSO Operations Commander, Captain Kevin Jones, the Deputy attempted an enforcement stop on the car and the driver sped up in an attempt to escape.
“The Deputy pursued the vehicle on County Road A-1 to Highway 36,” explained Jones. “Then the driver turned eastbound towards Susanville, still attempting to evade the Deputy.”
The driver continued into the Susanville city limits and eventually collided with a stationary object in a parking lot off of South Weatherlow Street above Lassen High School.
“The driver ran from the vehicle and onto the High School campus where he was promptly taken into custody by multiple law enforcement officers.”
The Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as 30-year old Christopher Domingo Abaya, of Sacramento.
According to Jones it was discovered that the vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen out of Susanville early this morning.
During the incident, Lassen High School put into effect a “soft lockdown” for a brief period of time.
Abaya was arrested for evading a Peace Officer in a vehicle and Vehicle Theft. The investigation will be ongoing. Officers from CHP Susanville Area and Susanville Police Department assisted in the arrest and investigation.
Comments are closed.