Ventura County – Faria Beach is one of Ventura County’s most scenic stretches of coastline, and draws thousands of vacationers to its sands. Offering spectacular views of the Pacific, there is no better place along U.S. 101 to take in a sunrise.
On the morning of September 11th, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Jim Kenney—on routine patrol in the area—may well have anticipated just such a peaceful moment as dawn broke over the beach. But when, according to VCSD spokesman Cpt. Patti Salas, Kenney spotted “an older model van stopped on the shoulder with an inoperative taillight,” his law enforcement duties took precedence over any thoughts of enjoying the view.
Enrique Patricio
Kenney proceeded to conduct a routine traffic stop for the van’s equipment violation, whereupon the van summarily “fled at a high speed”, ultimately traveling from the shoreline access road onto U.S. 101, hitting speeds in excess of 85 mph. As Sgt. Kenney pursued the van for more than 20 miles onto the eastbound SR 126, additional Sheriff’s units joined the chase into the city of Santa Paula where “it purposely crashed into road closure gates.”
It was at that point that the van’s driver alighted and took off on foot, running into a nearby riverbed. With aerial and canine units called in to facilitate the pursuit of the suspect, citizen reports began coming in to SVSD headquarters reporting a man hiding on private residential property. Shortly thereafter, the Sheriff’s helicopter unit observed their man walking along Telegraph Road, whereupon deputies from the Fillmore Police Station swept in and apprehended Enrique Patricio, a 29-year old resident of Ventura.
For his trouble, Patricio—slightly injured pursuant to his crashing the van—was arrested and transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charges of auto theft, evading law enforcement, resisting arrest, possession of burglary tools, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
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VCSTAR: Authorities find, arrest man who ran into river
