Modesto Police, sheriff, CHP chase down carjacking suspects

Roadway spike strips put two carjacking suspects out of commission early this morning less than an hour after they swiped a sport utility vehicle in south Modesto, authorities said.

A man with a large handgun ordered the owner of a 1999 Mercury SUV from the driver’s seat while an accomplice took money from a passenger just before 12:37 a.m., said Mike Radford, chief of Central Area Command for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. The victims, both men, were sitting in the parking lot of Corona Liquors at 1623 Crows Landing Rd., they told authorities.

A patrol officer spotted the SUV in West Modesto at 1 a.m. and the chase was on, Radford said, joined shortly by several Modesto Police, sheriff’s and California Highway Patrol units. Speeds reached 90 mph, Radford said.

Sheriff’s deputies disabled a tire with spike strips about 15 minutes later at Crows Landing and Monte Vista Avenue, west of Turlock, Radford said.

Arrested without further incident were Jason Dietrith, 23, identified as the gunman, and Anthony Maynard Miller, 22, Radford said. Their hometowns were not immediately available.