A Susanville man was arrested and booked into the Lassen County Jail Wednesday after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase north of Susanville that ended when the suspect’s vehicle crashed into a ditch near Merrillville Road in Willow Creek Valley.
The pursuit began shortly before 10:00p.m. when a Lassen County Sheriff’s deputy spotted a stolen white Dodge Ram pickup driving northbound on Ash Street in Susanville.
According to LCSO Lieutenant Dave Woginrich the pickup had been reported stolen earlier in the evening from the Johnstonville area.
A traffic stop was initiated but the driver of the pickup failed to yield, speeding away in an attempt to evade the deputy.
“The deputy pursued the pickup through several residential streets in Susanville and eventually north on to Highway 139,” details Woginrich.
Hearing the deputy was in pursuit, officers from the Susanville Police Department and California Highway Patrol joined the chase.
“The driver of the pickup led the deputy and assisting officers north on Highway 139 at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Shortly after turning on to a dirt road across from Merrillville Road off of Highway 139, the pickup crashed into a ditch.”
In pitch dark the driver fled the vehicle on foot and managed to hide in a field for a short time before he was located and taken into custody without incident.
The driver, identified by the LCSO as 27-year old Susanville resident James Patzke, was arrested and booked into the Lassen County Jail on charges of Unlawful Taking or Driving of a Vehicle and Evading a Peace Officer with Wanton Disregard for the Safety of Persons or Property.
According to Woginrich, Patzke also had a No Bail arrest warrant from the Washington State Department of Corrections for Assault with a Weapon or Other Item to Cause Harm. Patzke’s bail was set at $40,000, but he will be held pending extradition to Washington.
“The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Susanville Police Department and the California Highway Patrol for their assistance in this incident.”
