BAKERSFIELD — A 23-year-old man suspected of hijacking a car at gunpoint was arrested on Tuesday after police pursuit through the streets of Bakersfield.
Jose Ruiz Jr. was booked into the Kern County Jail for reckless evading an officer, auto theft, hit and run, and resisting arrest. He was also booked on additional charges related to another case.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the chain of events began at about 2 p.m. on December 16, when deputies were flagged down by two people in the area of Pioneer Drive and Oswell Street in east Bakersfield, who said they had been carjacked by a man armed with a gun.
A short time later, deputies found and stopped the vehicle, but the driver, Ruiz, fled on foot into a nearby residential neighborhood, where he commandeered a second vehicle, leading deputies on a vehicle pursuit.
The chase eventually ended when the Ruiz collided with a fence in the 2100 block of Kentucky Street, where he again tried to run from police. Deputies and officers from the Bakersfield Police Department, along with a Kern County Probation Department K-9 Unit, conducted a search of the area.
“After a brief struggle, deputies and officers were able to apprehended the suspect, who they found out was wanted by the Bakersfield Police Dept. on prior carjacking and kidnapping charges,” said Ray Pruitt, spokesperson for the sheriffs department. “The suspect did sustain minor injuries during his arrest, but was treated at KMC and released to be booked.”
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KBAK: Man arrested after car chases and crash
