Teen arrested in Arroyo Grande after suspicious social media post and police chase

A 14-year-old teen was arrested in Arroyo Grande on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018, after posting what police say was a picture of himself with a semi-automatic pistol on social media and then leading police on a chase in a stolen car.

The Arroyo Grande Police Department says the teen, who was not identified, posted the picture on social media as he drove the stolen vehicle near Arroyo Grande High School.

Police were alerted and found the vehicle near the intersection of Cienega and Valley Road. Officers attempted to pull the teen over but authorities say the teen refused to stop and a pursuit began.

The suspect threw a pistol out of the window of the car during the pursuit, authorities say. It was later determined to be a BB gun.

Police terminated the pursuit once it reached unsafe speeds. However, the car was later found parked with the suspect inside who was taken into custody for felony possession of a stolen car and felony evading a police officer.

The Arroyo Grande Police Department says Arroyo Grande High School officials and law enforcement are aware of additional social media posts that appear to have been created by someone from out of the area. They say there is no threat to students and staff members at this time but will continue to monitor social media posts and work with other law enforcement agencies. They said in a statement:

“The Arroyo Grande Police Department and Lucia Mar investigated two separate, unrelated social media postings on Monday and Tuesday this week. The incident Monday was resolved and no threats were made to Arroyo Grande High School.”

“The second incident came to light Tuesday morning regarding a posting made by a juvenile who is not enrolled in Lucia Mar. After a thorough investigation by AGPD, including an interview of the juvenile, the posting was not deemed to be a threat.”

“Neither incident was deemed to be a threat to students and staff. “