Costa Mesa man arrested after police chase stolen truck

A driver in a stolen truck led officers on a chase Thursday night, sometimes driving on sidewalks and the wrong side of the road, according to Costa Mesa police.

Officers got a call around 8:15 p.m. about a suspicious person on a bicycle in a parking lot at the former Los Angeles Times building on Sunflower Avenue just east of Harbor Boulevard, police Sgt. Mike Manson said.

“They find the bike but they don’t see the guy anywhere, and suddenly this box truck comes barreling out of the parking lot,” Manson said.

Officers chased the truck along Harbor and onto the 405 Freeway until a police helicopter crew arrived to track it, according to Manson.

The truck exited the freeway in Westminster, and the driver tried to flee on foot, police said.
Police quickly arrested a suspect whom they found in bushes, Manson said.

The chase lasted 15 to 20 minutes, according to police.

Officers identified the suspect as Vincent Longoria, 25, of Costa Mesa. He was booked on suspicion of vehicle theft and a felony count of evading officers, Manson said.

— Jeremiah Dobruck