Suspect Arrested After Pursuit Originated in Dublin

The California Highway Patrol in Tracy arrested Saul Morales, age 34, after he allegedly led officers on a that spanned several counties.

The chase began around 11:30 a.m., after Dublin Police deputies saw a silver Mercedes with a stolen trailer license plate. The deputies tried to stop the vehicle on westbound I-580 near Fallon Road and the driver refused to stop. Dublin Police pursued the Mercedes until Dublin CHP officers took-over the pursuit on eastbound I-580 at Airway Boulevard Lieutenant Steve Brown said.

According to Sergeant Jason Bartlett, of the CHP office in Tracy, the pursuit exited the I-580 freeway at 11th street in Tracy and CHP officers from the Tracy office assumed control of the pursuit.

“The pursuit ran through the city streets and when we tried to deploy the spike strip at Peony Drive, the suspect saw it and swerved into oncoming traffic,” said Bartlett. “I canceled the pursuit at that time. Luckily, no one was hurt and he slowed down enough and continued off of the street.”

Bartlett said numerous officers were still in the area when one of them spotted the Mercedes again.

“We used the spike strip twice in an attempt to stop him,” he said. “The suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He ran into a garage and hunkered down.”

The resident and her adult son were home during the incident while the suspect hid in her garage.

According to Bartlett, officers were able to track the suspect with a combined effort between the CHP airplane, Tracy Police Department and San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.

“Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident,” commented Bartlett.

Bartlett said Saul Morales, an unemployed transient, was arrested in the garage of a home located on Colby Road and Robert Gabriel Drive.

“The Mercedes was not stolen, but the license plate was and the vehicle was not Morales’,” he said.