Police catch, arrest gang member after chase

By: North County Times
San Diego / Riverside Counties , California

CARLSBAD - An 18-year-old documented gang member was booked into Vista Detention Center on Friday night after a chase that ended with him losing control and slamming his car into a tree with four squad cars in pursuit, Oceanside Lt. Rick Sing said Saturday.

The man, Josue Correa, faces charges of evading police, possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property.

Officers tried to pull over the suspect for speeding about 7:42 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of Grant Street, Sing said, but he fled in his 1990 white Honda.

With police in pursuit, he led them on a chase through the east side of Oceanside then got on I-5 heading south, Sing said. When he exited at Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad police joined the pursuit. There were four squad cars, sirens on, chasing the man, Sing said.

At about 7:48 p.m., Correa lost control of the car, slamming into the center median and then a tree at Carlsbad Boulevard and Beech Avenue, Sing said.

Police approached the car, calling on him to exit, but he was unresponsive, lying across the front seat with his hands up, authorities said. Officers then fired several rounds of pepper spray into the car, prompting Correa to surrender without further incident, Sing said.

Police found a semiautomatic handgun and a loaded magazine in the car, Sing said. Authorities said they later traced the handgun to a theft from an Oceanside residence a few months ago.

No one was injured in the chase, although police later learned that the man had sideswiped another vehicle.

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