Car Chase Turns to Foot Pursuit Through Orange County; Investigation Continues

LAGUNA HILLS, CA — A wild car chase that began at St. Joseph's Hospital in Santa Ana ended at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, from hospital to hospital, Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

"The search (at Saddleback Memorial) went on for hours yesterday, but we did not locate the suspects," Bertagna said.

The Saddleback Memorial Medical Center was on lockdown following the pursuit across Orange County that ended in the Laguna Hills area. Officers searched the surrounding area for a man and a woman seen in the stolen white 2015 Toyota Rav4.

"The vehicle was reported as stolen in Orange," Bertagna said.

On Thursday, at approximately 3:45 p.m., the Santa Ana police attempted to stop the SUV at MacArthur Boulevard and the Costa Mesa Freeway due to the theft report.

"The pursuit continued through Tustin, Irvine and back to Santa Ana before heading back down south," Bertagna said.

The suspect ditched the vehicle in a parking garage near Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and fled on foot with his female passenger, according to Bertagna.

The driver was described as a man with a shaved head and mustache, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. The woman has long, dark hair and was wearing a dark top and possibly blue jeans, Bertagna said.

Now, the stolen RAV4 is being processed for evidence in search of the people who led Orange County public safety officers on a wild chase across the region.

"The car was taken and is being processed for fingerprints and DNA evidence," he said. "There were stolen items in the car, as well as narcotics and drug paraphernalia."

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City News Service contributed to this report. Wikipedia Public Domain Image, 2015 Toyota Rav4