Santa Paula police engage in high-speed chase, suspect still at large

SANTA PAULA, Calif. - The Santa Paula Police Department took part in the high-speed chase of a stolen vehicle Saturday night that ended after the suspect exited the vehicle and was not located by officers.

The stolen vehicle was first spotted by Santa Paula police around 10:58 p.m. on the 500 block of W. Santa Barbara Street. The vehicle was described as a gray Lexus reported stolen out of Thousand Oaks.

Officers said when they conducted the stop, the driver refused to yield and instead took off at high speeds.

Multiple police engaged in a pursuit of the stolen vehicle through the streets of Santa Paula.

The pursuit finally ended in the area of Say and Ojai roads. There, officers found the vehicle unoccupied and began setting up a perimeter to search for the driver.

With help from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department K-9 unit and Air Support unit the area was canvassed. However, the driver was not found.

The investigation into identifying the driver is ongoing, anyone with any information is encouraged to call Detective Chris Rivera at 805-525-4474 Ext. 221, or email him at crivera@spcity.org.