County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Bakersfield man after he led them on a dangerous, high-speed, chase that included driving the wrong way on the freeway and finally ending with a chase down the Oceano Dunes State Park.
According to Sheriff’s spokesman, Tony Cipolla, at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, deputies were searching South County for a man with an arrest warrant out of Kern County, when they spotted him driving a white Lexus on Hetrick Avenue in Nipomo.
“When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle,” Cipolla said, “the driver led deputies on a short pursuit that began at approximately 2:30 p.m. The vehicle entered Highway 101 at Willow Road and began driving southbound in the northbound lanes.
“As a result, at approximately 2:34 p.m., deputies terminated the pursuit for safety reasons.”
Somehow the suspect vehicle got itself turned around on the freeway without killing anyone and at about 3:50 p.m., Cipolla said deputies in an unmarked car spotted the car going north on Hwy 1 (on the right side of the roadway this time), at Price Street in Pismo Beach and started to follow it.
“The vehicle exited at Avila Beach Drive and proceeded to get back on Highway 101 South,” Cipolla said. “The suspect vehicle then exited the highway at Price Street and drove through Downtown Pismo Beach before getting onto Highway 1.” Pismo police joined the pursuit and tried to stop the car.
“The suspect entered the Oceano Dunes State Beach at the Grand Avenue entrance and proceeded south,” Cipolla said. “State Park Rangers picked up the pursuit on the beach at speeds of approximately 40 miles an hour.” The legal speed limit on the dunes is 15 mph. He didn’t get far on the beach, as a Lexus isn’t exactly an off road vehicle and once it was finished the guy apparently tried to swim for freedom.
“At approximately 4:15 p.m.,” Cipolla said, “the suspect vehicle got stuck in the sand and the suspect jumped out of the car and ran into the ocean. He was taken into custody at gunpoint by State Park Rangers.”
The suspect, Joshua Anthony Jordan, 38 of Bakersfield, was actually wanted in two counties. Cipolla said Jordan is wanted in San Benito County for allegedly making felony criminal threats, and in Kern County on a no-bail warrant for a parole violation.
He was transported to County Jail and is facing a slew of new charges. Including suspicion of felony willful cruelty to a child with possible injury or death (this because families and children were playing on the beach and had to run for safety to avoid being hit by Jordan). Jordan also faces suspicion of felony evading a peace officer in a reckless manner, in addition to the OC warants. He’s of course being held without bail. – Neil Farrell
