An 18-year-old man and three teenagers suspected of 10 overnight burglaries in Escondido were taken into custody Thursday following a predawn chase that ended when their Cadillac crashed.
The pursuit began after a 3:15 a.m. call from a security guard working in the 600 block of North Broadway. The guard shared information provided by a transient who saw four youths loading what he believed was an ATM into a maroon Cadillac, according to Escondido police.
The guard then discovered that a doughnut shop in the area had a broken front window and possibly had been burglarized.
When patrol personnel found the sedan a short time later on Park Avenue near Broadway, they saw the suspects placing a large safe in the front seat, police said.
Seeing the officers approach, the youths jumped into the car, and the driver allegedly backed into a patrol vehicle before speeding away.
Following a roughly five-minute chase, the driver of the Cadillac lost control while trying to make a right turn from southbound Centre City Parkway onto westbound Washington Avenue.
The car crashed into a palm tree in a parking lot, according to a police statement. The occupants then scrambled out of the vehicle and tried to escape on foot. Officers took one into custody just outside the car and caught the other three nearby.
The suspects, all residents of Hemet, were treated at hospitals for injuries they apparently suffered in the car crash.
In addition to the safe, officers found cash, jewelry, merchandise and a loaded gun inside the damaged Cadillac, according to the statement.
Investigators believe the four teens burglarized the following central and western Escondido businesses overnight: Blue Mug Coffee and Tea, Del’s Barber Shop, Donut Star, George Burgers, Glamour Brows, La Michoacana Plus, Lourdes Mexican Food, Sally’s Beauty, 10 Perfect Nails and Top Trendy Nails and Spa.
Detectives were working with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to determine if several overnight burglaries in San Marcos and other previous crimes in Escondido were committed by same group, according to police.
The adult suspect, who allegedly was driving during the pursuit, was identified as Adrian Isaiah Jaramillo. He was booked into county jail in Vista.
The names of the other suspects were withheld because they are minors. One of them had a robbery warrant out of Riverside County and was booked into juvenile hall. The others will be released to their parents pending prosecution, police said.
– City News Service
