The person who led authorities on a wild and harmful chase throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties final week was on parole for tried carjacking and evading police, and can face 25 legal expenses in reference to the pursuit, based on authorities.
Johnny Anchondo, 33, of Moreno Valley is accused of main a number of regulation enforcement companies on a high-speed pursuit that wound from Fullerton, by way of Orange County and into japanese L.A. County earlier than ending with a crash and taking pictures by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies at a Hacienda Heights gasoline station.
Alongside the best way, Anchondo allegedly stole two automobiles — carjacking one in all them after coming into a house in Whittier — and crashed into a number of motorists’ and regulation enforcement officers’ automobiles.
He has been charged with 18 felony and 7 misdemeanor counts, the Orange County district lawyer’s workplace stated Wednesday.
The chase started round 6:46 p.m. Nov. 9 when Fullerton police tried to tug over a driver for “car violations,” prosecutors stated.
Anchondo was on the wheel and drove to a condominium advanced, the place he tried to flee on foot earlier than stealing a parked van and repeatedly reversing right into a Fullerton police automotive that had tried to dam him from leaving, prosecutors stated.
The following chase reached speeds of practically 100 mph earlier than Anchondo deserted the van in Whittier, prosecutors stated. There, he bumped into a house and allegedly stole keys to a pickup truck whereas threatening the proprietor with scissors.
The truck’s homeowners tried to shut a steel gate to forestall Anchondo from leaving, however he drove the car by way of it, prosecutors stated.
The chase continued for 40 minutes as Anchondo hit a number of motorists’ automobiles and practically crashed into a number of L.A. County sheriff’s deputies’ automobiles that have been making an attempt to dam him right into a cul-de-sac, prosecutors stated.
“Anchondo is seen hitting two extra civilian automobiles earlier than being rammed a number of occasions by two [Sheriff’s Department] automobiles,” prosecutors stated. “[He] then reverses the stolen truck right into a sheriff’s car, practically operating over two … deputies.”
The chase ended within the 1000 block of Hacienda Boulevard, based on the Sheriff’s Division. Deputies stated they’d overlooked the truck on a freeway, then discovered and pursued the suspect earlier than he hit one other automotive, collided with a police car and drove right into a gasoline station, the place he hit a pump and tried to reverse.
Video broadcast by information stations confirmed a cloud of smoke and flames showing to return from the truck’s rear.
Deputies opened fireplace on the suspect however stated nobody was hit within the taking pictures. A short standoff ensued till deputies approached the suspect with ballistic shields, broke the motive force’s facet window and detained him whereas he had his arms up.
Anchondo was arrested and held on the Norwalk sheriff’s station with out bail and on a parole maintain.
As of Wednesday, he remained in L.A. County Sheriff’s Division custody on a parole violation pending his switch to Orange County, stated Kimberly Edds, a district lawyer’s workplace spokesperson.
Anchondo faces eight felony counts of assault with a lethal weapon on a peace officer, the place the weapon just isn’t a firearm; three felony counts of vandalism inflicting $400 or extra in injury; two felony counts of theft with a previous felony conviction of taking a car; and one felony depend every of carjacking, first-degree housebreaking, assault with a lethal weapon the place the weapon just isn’t a firearm, evading a peace officer/reckless driving and resisting an government officer, prosecutors stated.
He has additionally been charged with three misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run with property injury, and one misdemeanor depend every of evading a peace officer and driving towards site visitors, brandishing a weapon, possession of a managed substance, and possession of managed substance paraphernalia, prosecutors stated.
“The victims on this case can relaxation assured that the Orange County district lawyer’s workplace will do all the pieces in its energy to carry this harmful particular person accountable for the handfuls of crimes he dedicated throughout two totally different counties,” stated Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer. “It is just by the grace of God that an harmless individual wasn’t significantly injured or killed by somebody who was hellbent on doing no matter he may to attempt to escape, together with stealing a number of automobiles and assaulting quite a few regulation enforcement officers.”
Anchondo faces a most sentence of 54 years in state jail if convicted on all counts, prosecutors stated.
