Monterey Police Conduct High-Risk Surveillance to Capture Fugitive with Multiple Felony Warrants
On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at 5:52 P.M., Monterey Police Department (PD) detectives and officers were engaged in a surveillance operation on Cielo Vista Drive. The operation aimed to locate and arrest Leslie Flores, 58, a resident of Monterey, who had fourteen active warrants against him. Among these, four were felony warrants related to serious offenses and carried no option for bail.
These felony charges included assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, making criminal threats, and possession of both a short-barreled rifle and an assault weapon, as specified under various sections of the California Penal Code. Additionally, Flores faced charges for felony evading under the California Vehicle Code.
Flores has previously managed to evade capture on several occasions. Notably, on April 25, 2024, an officer identified Flores and attempted a vehicle stop on Larkin Street to serve the warrants. Flores escaped the scene, jeopardizing pedestrian and motorist safety.
Similar incidents occurred on June 22, when Flores was spotted on Cielo Vista Drive and fled on foot, and again on June 27, when he was recognized near Mar Vista Drive and Porta Vista Drive and escaped after a vehicle stop attempt. In all instances, Flores successfully evaded arrest despite efforts by the police to apprehend him.
