Crime & Safety
Cops Chase Potentially Armed Suspect Across Orange County
Police were out in force Wednesday after a pursuit that began near Laguna Beach and has come to a close in Newport Beach.
LAGUNA BEACH, CA —Laguna Beach Police, Newport Beach Police and Orange County Sheriff's Department engaged in a cross-county vehicle pursuit that bean in Laguna Beach, according to an OCSD spokesperson.
Laguna Beach police say they attempted to pull over a driver Wednesday afternoon, who was wanted on a no-bail warrant. The driver then sped off on the northbound 73, heading through South County, according to Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Jim Cota.
The driver was believed to be armed.
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The chase continued into Newport Beach as of 4 p.m. according to an OCSD spokesperson.
The chase ended in Newport Beach, where the suspect barricaded himself inside the parked vehicle for about an hour.
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The suspect had an "extensive criminal history" of white collar and violent crimes, including a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon, Cota said.
The suspect eventually pulled into a parking lot at an office complex in Newport Beach near Fashion Island and where he remained in the car with police monitoring him at gunpoint. He was later taken into custody without incident, a Newport Beach Police spokesperson reported.
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