Charges Dismissed Against Felon Accused In Murrieta Chase

BANNING, CA — On the first day of testimony in his trial, most charges were dismissed, and the case closed Wednesday, for a convicted felon who had been accused of leading Murrieta police on a high-speed chase into Menifee.

A jury was seated Wednesday at the Banning Justice Center for the trial of 40-year-old Jeremy Neives Phillips of Menifee, but after one witness testified, Riverside County Superior Court Judge W. Charles Morgan relieved the panel and certified an amended complaint submitted by the District Attorney's Office.

Phillips pleaded guilty to the amended complaint, alleging a misdemeanor count of presenting false identification to a peace officer. The other counts originally filed against him -- felony evading, attempted auto theft and vandalism -- were stricken by Morgan.

There was no immediate word from the District Attorney's Office regarding why the action was taken, and court minutes didn't specify.

Phillips was given credit for jail time served -- 90 days -- and went home. No probation was required under the sentence that Morgan imposed.

Murrieta police Lt. Tony Conrad had alleged that Phillips and another man, who was never identified, attempted to steal a vehicle on April 14, 2016, in the area of Bladen Avenue and California Oaks Road.

Conrad said the officer pulled up about 12:20 a.m. and noticed the pair were going between a sedan idling in the middle of the street and a 2005 GMC pickup truck parked along the curb. The lawman became suspicious, but when he approached the men, they jumped into the car and sped away, according to Conrad.

The sedan went onto northbound Interstate 215, heading toward Menifee, Conrad said.

"The driver showed blatant disregard for public safety by running several red lights, driving erratically on the freeway and even driving on the wrong side of the road," Conrad said. "Even with the extremely reckless driving and excessive speeds, the officer was able to obtain the license plate of the suspect vehicle."

The patrolman stopped the chase out of concern for the safety of other motorists, Conrad said.

An investigation revealed that the pickup's steering column had been "punched" and that men were on the verge of stealing it, Conrad said.

Using the license plate information obtained by the patrolman, detectives were able to confirm the car involved in the pursuit was registered to Phillips, who was arrested without incident hours later, Conrad said.

According to court records, Phillips has prior convictions for auto theft, receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.

— By City News Service / Image via Murrieta Police Department