Originally published as a Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post –
“The first incident took place on Wednesday, at 8:14 p.m. in the area of Iowa Avenue and 8th Street in Riverbank. A deputy attempted a Honda Accord for expired registration and driving at unsafe speeds. The driver fled instead, leading to a vehicle pursuit.
Due to unsafe conditions, the pursuit was terminated near Claus & Plainview Roads in Modesto. The driver ran multiple stop signs, drove at nearly 100 miles-per-hour, and disregarded all public safety for nearly 2 1/2 miles. Our Air Support Unit assisted with locating the car as it parked near an apartment complex in the 400 block of “B” St in Empire.
The air unit was able to direct ground units to the apartment complex, where Joseph Brown, a 24-year-old Modesto resident, was located and identified as the driver of the vehicle. He was on active probation for an auto theft conviction and did not have a valid California driver’s license.
Brown was arrested felony evasion, probation violation, as well as misdemeanor driving while unlicensed. His bail was set at $150,000.
In the second incident, at about 11:30 p.m., the Merced County Sheriff’s Office requested our assistance with locating an armed robbery suspect in the 1000 block of N Golden State Boulevard in Turlock. A patrol deputy was able to locate and identify Kyle Lu, a 26-year-old Turlock resident. A firearm was recovered in the area of the arrest. We will be directing any further questions about the robbery to the Merced Co. Sheriff’s Office.
While the air unit was assisting with locating Luz, the pilot and tactical flight officer reported multiple strikes in the cockpit with a green laser pointer. They determined it was coming from the 900 block of Chestnut St. in Turlock. They directed ground units to a residence where Craig Jorgensen, a 58-year-old Turlock resident, was and retrieved a laser pointer. He was arrested for pointing a laser at flying aircraft. His bail was set at $1,000.
In final incident of the night, deputies were dispatched to a shots fired call at a closed marijuana dispensary in the 200 block of Daly Avenue in Modesto. The first 911 call was received at 5:45 a.m. during the early morning hours of April 21st. The owner of the business, James Blink, a 52-year-old Modesto resident, confronted a man and woman sitting alone in a parked vehicle. Blink was accompanied by one other acquaintance.
Due to being burglarized in recent days, Blink began to engage the couple in conversation to investigate further on his own. The conversation turned into an argument, at which time Blink discharged a firearm into the car several times. Nobody was injured during the altercation; however, the vehicle was struck in the process.
It turns out the vehicle and people had nothing to with the previous burglaries. Blink was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, as well as shooting at an inhabited vehicle. He was being held on $250,000 bail.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”‘
