Parolee calls 911 near Pinecrest and says he’s done with pursuit, sheriff’s office says

A parolee was arrested Monday night after leading deputies on a 26-mile pursuit up Highway 108 from Jamestown, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Frank Soja, 41, of Angels Camp called 911 from Cold Springs, about three miles west of Pinecrest, and agreed to surrender, a sheriff’s Facebook post said. He was booked just before midnight at the Tuolumne County Jail and placed on a no-bail hold.

The post said the pursuit started when a deputy tried to pull over a Nissan Altima for driving without headlights at 108 and Rawhide Road in Jamestown. The driver was later found to be driving on a suspended license and was wanted for assault with a deadly weapon, the post said.

“Towards the end of the pursuit,” it went on, “Soja called 911 and spoke to Dispatcher Eastman, who was able to successfully talk him into pulling his vehicle over.”

Soja faces charges of driving on a suspended license, assault with a deadly weapon, parole violation and evading officers “with wanton disregard for safety,” the jail log said.

This story was originally published April 2, 2019 at 8:00 PM.