Carjacker Sentenced In Chase That Cost K-9 Cop His Teeth

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Garden Grove man who led police on a televised high-speed pursuit ending in a battle with a K9 cop, pleaded guilty, Thursday.

Antonio Padilla Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to one felony count of carjacking, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of assault on a police animal and one count of felony evasion, a spokesperson for the OCDA said.

Padilla's escapades began when he attempted to run over a Garden Grove Police motor officer who had pulled him over for speeding. The officer, writing a ticket at the time Padilla fled, managed to jump out of the way, escaping injury.

One week later, Garden Grove police tracked Padilla's vehicle to Santa Ana, where that department became involved in the chase.

Padilla, still refusing to stop for police, driving at more than 60 miles an hour on surface streets while running stop signs and traffic lights.

The high-speed pursuit continued into the City of Irvine.

There, he dragged a 22-year-old woman out of the SUV she was driving and carjacked her, the OCDA's office said.

The woman's brother witnessed the carjacking and intervened in a struggle. Padilla accelerated away, narrowly missing the brother in his escape.

Padilla continued away from authorities inside the carjacked SUV, striking several other vehicles. Finally, he hit a raised curb, rendering the car useless.

Padilla exited the SUV and ran from the pursuing police officers, when Santa Ana Police officer Puskas, a K9 cop, was freed to take Padilla down.

Puskas held on while Padilla slammed and hit at the K9 officer.

The chase and arrest were covered live, violent take down covered on Patch.

Puskas suffered multiple injuries, including the loss of most of the dog's upper and lower teeth, and had to undergo surgery. Puskas recovered from his injuries and returned to work patrolling the streets of Santa Ana.

He earned a purple heart for his efforts.

“Our K-9s are invaluable assets to our law enforcement family," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. "It is due to the training and dedication of Puskas and his human partners that a dangerous criminal is off the streets and behind bars."

Padilla was sentenced to 19 years and four months in state prison, according to the OC District Attorney's Office.