2 arrested in Lathrop after drive-by and chase

LATHROP -- San Joaquin County sheriff's officials arrested two men suspected in a drive-by shooting and a burglary after they led authorities in a high-speed pursuit Friday morning that started in Lathrop, moved to Stockton and ended with a crash in Manteca.

No injuries were reported in either the pursuit or the drive-by shooting that started it all.

About 8 a.m., sheriff's officials received a report of shots fired from a red pickup at a house in the 3100 block of West Yosemite Avenue, less than a mile north of Highway 120 and just east of McKinley Avenue in Lathrop.

A sheriff's deputy was in the area and spotted the pickup. Other deputies joined for backup and followed the pickup several miles to Interstate 205 and MacArthur Drive in Tracy, where the deputies tried to pull over the truck.

Sheriff's deputy Les Garcia, a department spokesman, said the pickup sped off and the chase began, at times reaching speeds of about 100 mph. He said the deputies stopped chasing the pickup in the area of Interstate 5 and Downing Avenue in south Stockton because of the risk to other drivers.

California Highway Patrol officers spotted the pickup shortly after and resumed the pursuit. They called for a sheriff's K-9 team to assist.

The chase ended along Grant Avenue in Manteca, where the pickup crashed. Garcia said the driver immediately was taken into custody and the passenger was found a short time later on the roof of a nearby apartment building.

Investigators had not recovered a gun, but deputies on Friday afternoon continued to search the area. Garcia said the suspects were spotted throwing out what appeared to be ammunition and other objects during the chase.

Garcia said investigators did find in the pickup stolen property linked to a Manteca burglary.

Sukhbir Singh, 32, was booked at the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of evading police in a vehicle, possessing ammunition, criminal conspiracy, negligent discharge of a gun, receiving stolen property and commercial burglary.

Morri Mitchell, 40, was booked on suspicion of resisting police, criminal conspiracy, negligent discharge of a gun, receiving stolen property and violating parole.