California Highway Patrol officers arrested an alleged kidnapping suspect Saturday evening after a lengthy and extremely slow chase through Orange County.
According to CHP officials, the chase began near the I-5 and I-605 freeway interchange just after 6:45 p.m. Officers say they received a call from family reporting the kidnapping, and the chase began a short time later.
It is unclear whether there was also a possible victim in the car.
According to police, at one point the driver ran over a spike strip, causing two of the front tires to puncture. Despite this, the car did not stop and instead continued driving down the highway.
With SkyCal overhead, the extremely slow chase, which occurred at no more than five miles per hour, could be seen as it continued along the southbound lanes of the I-405 Freeway, with as many as five CHP patrol cars hot on our heels.
As the suspect crawled across the highway, hundreds of cars became tangled in traffic that continued to pile up behind the chase, creating a massive traffic nightmare on the 405.
Several onlookers were able to see the chase as it passed under an overpass near Springdale Street and Westminster Avenue.
The driver finally came to a stop near the Springdale Street ramp around 8:30 p.m. The officers exited their vehicles with weapons drawn as the suspect appeared to communicate with them through the driver’s side window.
The driver got out of the car and slowly walked to the passenger side, where a woman had just gotten out. They hugged briefly before the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
The passenger, whose relationship to the suspect is unknown, began talking to police after the suspect was arrested.
This is a development story. Check back for more information.
