SAN DIEGO, CA — A man accused of fleeing from police this week in a stolen car over coast-area streets and onto the Pacific Beach Boardwalk, where he then allegedly struck and seriously injured a pedestrian, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that include assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run and auto theft.
Juan Antonio Gonzaba, 39, was chased down and captured by bystanders early Monday afternoon after allegedly running down a 25-year-old woman, abandoning the Tesla sedan he had been driving and attempting to escape on foot, the San Diego Police Department reported.
Gonzaba, who faces up to 24 years and eight months in state prison if convicted of all charges, is being held without bail following a Wednesday afternoon arraignment.
Deputy District Attorney Tyler Nigut said in court Wednesday that Gonzaba stole the Tesla in La Jolla, but the car's owner was able to track its location through her cell phone and notified police.
The stolen car was spotted at around 12:30 p.m. heading south on Mission Boulevard, but sped away from officers attempting a traffic stop, according to San Diego police.
The car struck a roadside electrical transformer, at which point officers terminated the pursuit "due to the increasing risk to public safety," according to an SDPD statement.
But Gonzaba continued driving onto the crowded Pacific Beach Boardwalk, Nigut said, where pedestrians and cyclists had to dive out of the way to avoid being struck.
The injured victim, who was "simply out for a stroll," suffered fractures to her spine, broken ribs and a large laceration requiring 20 stitches, the prosecutor said. She remained hospitalized as of Wednesday, he said.
After crashing the Tesla, Gonzaba ran, but was chased down by bystanders who detained him until officers came to arrest him, Nigut said.
On Monday, San Diego police said Gonzaba was suspected of being under the influence. Nigut said in court that Gonzaba exhibited signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance after his arrest, but that the results of a blood test were pending. Gonzaba is not currently facing any DUI-related charges.
In arguing to withhold bail, Nigut argued that Gonzaba had an "extensive criminal history" that includes convictions for assault, battery, burglary, and grand theft. The prosecutor also alleged that at the time of the police chase, Gonzaba was on a grant of mental health diversion in three recent cases and has a history of probation violations and failures to appear in court.
— City News Service
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