Ventura man arrested for fleeing from police multiple times on dirt bike

VENTURA, Calif. - A Ventura man was arrested Thursday morning after he refused to stop for police several times while riding a dirt bike.

Officers said on Nov. 11, 2020, they witnessed a man off-roading on a dirt bike with a passenger who was not wearing a helmet near Ventura Avenue.

When the officer tried to stop the cyclist, the rider fled and a brief pursuit ensued.

Police said the biker was riding with a blatant disregard for the safety of the public and the passenger with him, so they decided to stop the pursuit.

But officers decided not to leave it there and started an investigation to determine the identity of the cyclist.

Police said, over the next few months, they spotted a similar dirt bike on several occasions who led officers on brief pursuits. All those pursuits were ended when the dirt bike traveled off the road.

However, officers finally identified the rider responsible as a 29-year-old Ventura man.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the man's home and showed up Thursday morning around 7 a.m.

There, the man was found along with his dirt bike, a helmet and clothing matching those from the pursuit on Nov. 11.

The man was arrested and booked at the County Jail for evading police.

A search of the Ventura County Superior Court’s website shows the rider has prior convictions for driving without a license, evading, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.