Teens arrested after leading police on pursuit in stolen car through south Modesto

A 15-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl were arrested Thursday night after leading sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit through south Modesto in a stolen car.

A deputy first spotted the car, stolen from Modesto, in the area of Hatch and Crows Landing roads at about 2:25 p.m., said Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Sgt. Anthony Bejaran.

The deputy activated his overhead emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop but the 15-year-old driver fled.

A pursuit ensued through South Modesto; more deputies joined along with officers from the California Highway Patrol.

At one point, the 15-year-old drove head-on toward a deputy’s patrol car and the deputy had to swerve to avoid being hit, Bejaran said.

Spike strips were deployed at Hatch and Carpenter roads and the suspect ran over them, deflating the tires on the car.

The suspect drove into an orchard south of Hatch Road and onto a canal bank where he finally stopped.

The boy and girl were arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and evading a peace officer. Both were booked into juvenile hall.

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Teens arrested after leading police on pursuit in stolen car through south Modesto."