Two motorcycle pursuits keep CHP busy

By ERIC LINDBERG — June 4, 2009

Authorities chased down and arrested a total of four motorcyclists who fled at high speeds on two different occasions during the past two days near Goleta, California Highway Patrol officials said.

While monitoring traffic with a handheld device along the southbound shoulder of Highway 101 on Tuesday afternoon, CHP Officer Gustavo Garcia heard motorcycle engines revving and spotted the three riders approaching at speeds higher than 95 mph as confirmed by his sensing device, according to a CHP report.

The three motorcyclists apparently saw the officer and slowed down as he climbed into his patrol car, authorities said. When Garcia accelerated and approached the motorcyclists with his emergency lights activated, one of the riders started to yield.

“The other two riders looked back at Officer Garcia quickly, then accelerated at a high rate of speed,” CHP Spokesman James Richards said in a news release. “The motorcyclist who initially appeared to yield accelerated quickly. The motorcyclists fled the pursuing CHP patrol car through light traffic at speeds reaching 140 mph.”

As the riders exited at Glen Annie and Storke roads, they turned right and continued to flee, authorities said. Garcia was able to catch up to the group at the intersection of Storke Road and Hollister Avenue, where he detained one rider as the other two headed west on Hollister Avenue.

Multiple CHP units responded to the scene and located the abandoned motorcycles nearby, Richards said. Follow-up investigation resulted in the outstanding riders being identified and arrested.

Richards said two of the three motorcyclists had suspended driver’s licenses and one of the riders had a prior conviction for a pursuit.

Authorities booked 21-year-old Zaki S. Harb, 20-year-old Cristian Small, and 18-year-old Eric Small — all Santa Barbara residents — into jail for speeding, reckless driving and recklessly evading a peace officer.

Yesterday afternoon, CHP Officer Graham Walter was also monitoring traffic along southbound lanes near the Glen Annie and Storke roads overcrossing, also using a handheld device.

He spotted a dark motorcycle approaching at approximately 80 mph and gestured at the rider to pull over, authorities said. Instead, the motorcyclist allegedly accelerated to speeds reaching 130 mph and headed onto the Los Carneros Road offramp.

As he made a left turn against a red light, the motorcyclist, later identified as 50-year-old Vernon P. Thompson, of Venice, Calif., continued along the roadway and turned right onto Calle Real, authorities said.

“Mr. Thompson reached speeds of over 80 mph on Calle Real, passing bicyclists and pedestrians, before making a left turn on La Patera Lane,” Richards said in a news release. “Officer Walter briefly lost sight of Mr. Thompson as he turned right onto Momouth Avenue and recklessly rode through an unfamiliar Goleta neighborhood.”

After a pedestrian directed the CHP officer toward the fleeing motorcyclist, Walter spotted Thompson turning right onto Valdez Avenue and continuing back to Calle Real, CHP officials said.

Thompson again hit speeds topping 80 mph before turning right at Fairview Avenue and arriving at the entrance to the Highway 101 northbound onramp, according to the incident report. He apparently became confused, pulled onto the right shoulder and surrendered, Richards said.

Authorities booked the 50-year-old into jail for speeding, reckless driving and recklessly evading a peace officer.

Comment on this article

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wow! : 6/4/2009

Go CHP, gather all the idiots up and put them away, please...

bc

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hand held devise? : 6/4/2009

what, you can't spell the word RADAR???

bruce armstrong

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: 6/4/2009

Thanks for posting the names here. I hope they are publicly humiliated by what they've done. How stupid can they be??????

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@bruce armstrong : 6/5/2009

Looks like you can't even spell device. LOL

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: 6/5/2009

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DEVICE : 6/5/2009

DEVICE IS A CORRECT CHOICE OF WORDS, SOME DEVICES ARE LAZER.

R

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: 6/5/2009

laSer

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