Near-Collision Between Cop Car, Stolen Honda Leads To Chase, Arrests Of 3 From South Bay

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – Three people were arrested in Mountain View Thursday afternoon after a pursuit that started when an officer was almost involved in a collision with a stolen car, police said.

The suspects were identified as Robert Mejia, 18, Mitchell Sharpe, 31, and a 15-year-old boy, all from San Jose, according to police.

An officer nearly ended up in a collision with the suspect vehicle, a white Honda, as the driver made an unsafe lane change around 1:45 p.m., police said. The officer checked the Honda's license plate and learned it was stolen from San Jose earlier that day, according to police.

The officer continued to follow the white car as it made a quick turn to Rengstroff Avenue and then onto Latham Street, where the suspect driver ran a red light, police said.

A chase ensued and ended at San Antonio Road, where the trio left the car and ran away, according to police.

Sharpe, the front seat passenger, was quickly taken into custody at the road's center median. Mejia and the teenage boy ran across the street and entered a construction zone, according to police.

Officers from Mountain View, Palo Alto and Los Altos surrounded the site and searched for the two suspects, who were eventually found hiding and were arrested without incident, police said.

"We also wanted to take a minute to thank our law enforcement partners at the Los Altos and Palo Alto Police Departments who immediately responded to the area to help our patrol officers safely capture these suspects," MVPD said. "Keeping communities safe involves a lot of teamwork and we greatly appreciate the relationships we have with both of these organizations."

• Also see: Driver With Dark Ponytail Sought For Hit-And-Run Of Bicyclist On E. Fremont Avenue

--Bay city News contributed to this report/Images from left: Mitchell Sharpe; Robert Mejia. Courtesy MVPD, Shutterstock