A Ukiah man was arrested for alleged vehicle theft this week after reportedly driving through a locked gate in a stolen car while trying to elude officers, the Ukiah Police Department reported.
According to the UPD, multiple residents reported attempted vehicle break-ins the morning of Jan. 14, beginning with a man in the 300 block of Washington Avenue who reported at 12:50 a.m. that two males tried to break into his car and were last seen heading toward Nokomis Elementary School.
While an officer was responding to the area, another caller reported that two males “had just tried to break into their vehicle in the 500 block of Nokomis Drive,” then a third caller reported an attempted break-in to their vehicle on Nokomis Drive, and that “the reporting party had video surveillance cameras.”
The UPD notes that prior to the vehicle prowls, there were “multiple vehicle thefts … in this area recently” and that Gabriel Chaon, 18, of Ukiah, was identified as a person of interest, and was also on probation for a previous vehicle theft.
While searching the area of the reported vehicle prowls on Jan. 14, an officer saw Chaon trying to jump over a fence at Nokomis School and tried to contact him, but reports that the suspect “immediately fled on foot eastbound on Washington Avenue” and jumped over another fence.
After Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office personnel joined the search, a deputy reported seeing a Hyundai “traveling recklessly” on Wabash Avenue, then a UPD sergeant saw the Hyundai and described it as “driving all over the road and nearly crashing into the northeast curb when turning northbound onto South Dora Street from Tedford Avenue.”
When another UPD officer responded, a traffic stop “was initiated at Beacon Lane and South State Street,” but Chaon reportedly sped off and the UPD initiated a “vehicle pursuit due to the severity of the driving observations prior to the stop.”
Chaon reportedly drove recklessly, “running red lights and almost crashing into multiple objects in complete disregard for the safety of others” as he headed onto Talmage Road, Betty Street, Marlene Street, and running a stop sign at Lorraine Street while turning onto South Orchard Avenue.
When the suspect reportedly saw a UPD vehicle approaching, he “abruptly jerked the wheel and accelerated, ramming through a hydraulic gate at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses (734 S. Orchard Ave). The gate was torn from its hinges and went airborne over the top of Chaon’s vehicle. (Then the suspect) accelerated around the back of the church … towards a chainlink fence bordering the Ukiah Autumn Leaves apartment complex (425 E. Gobbi St). As Chaon approached the fence, he again accelerated, ramming through the fence (and continuing) along the east side of the complex, ramming through small trees/bushes, planter boxes, water lines, and eventually hitting a raised Bocce ball court curb, causing the vehicle to crash head-on with an oak tree.”
Reportedly injured from airbag deployment, Chaon was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries described as “superficial.” Due to the suspect’s erratic driving and the smell of alcohol on his breath, the UPD requested and was granted a warrant to draw his blood.
The UPD also reports that “the registered owner of the vehicle Chaon was driving lived on Yokayo Court, which was directly in line with the direction Chaon traveled after fleeing on foot from the UPD Officer. The registered owner, (identified only as a 25-year-old Ukiah woman), stated that her keys were missing from inside of the residence and nobody had permission to drive her vehicle. During the investigation, it was found that Chaon had entered the residence and stole the keys to the vehicle, then stole the vehicle without the owner’s consent.”
Chaon was then arrested and booked into Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of burglary, vehicle theft, possession of a concealed dirk/dagger, attempted vehicle theft, vandalism, felony evasion, driving under the influence, violating his probation, resisting and reckless driving.
The UPD also urged local residents “to make sure your homes and vehicles are secured at night, as these crimes tend to be happening more and more in recent years.”
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