Ventura County – Just after morning rush hour on March 3rd, a Ventura County Sheriff’s Fillmore Station patrol unit spotted a car parked on a downtown street that matched the description of a vehicle reported stolen out of Palmdale. According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Capt. Dave Wareham, a routine records check confirmed the deputy’s suspicions.
Moments later the deputy spotted Jesus Mora, a 25-year old Fillmore resident, as he approached the car, climbed behind the wheel, and promptly drove off into busy morning traffic. At that point “the deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop”, but Mora—seeing flashing red lights in his rear view mirror—summarily accelerated and drove away at high speed in an attempt to flee from the patrol unit. With the deputy in pursuit, Mora drove through school zones at a high rate of speed, passing vehicles at intersections, and swerving to avoid oncoming traffic.
Those maneuvers soon had the stolen car spinning out of control in a 360-degree turn that brought the stolen vehicle into contact with a parked car, which was pushed more than 50 feet from its original position. At that point, the stolen car made high-speed contact with a telephone pole, causing it to spin “in the opposite direction into a block wall and knocking it over” before it finally came to a halt in a residential driveway. That final impact, observed by the patrol deputy, ejected Mora from his vehicle, whereupon he regained his feet and fled over a series of residential backyard fences.
Additional Sheriff’s units responded to the scene, quickly established a secure perimeter, and the hunt for Mora began with the help of a Sheriff’s Air Unit and a K-9 team. The search ultimately located Mora hiding in a locked garage, where he was contacted and taken into custody without further incident. Suffering from minor injuries as a result of his escapade, Mora was treated at an area hospital and then transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charges of vehicle theft, felony evading, hit and run, and burglary. He is currently held in custody with no bail set.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
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