Stolen car pursuit ends with crash, arrest of Modesto man, Ceres police say
A Modesto man lost control of a stolen car while evading an officer on Highway 99, ending a chase Friday night by crashing into a center median, the Ceres Police Department said.
Ceres Police then arrested Angel Costumbre, 18, and a 17-year-old female passenger for evading a police officer, stealing a vehicle and possessing stolen property.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash on southbound Highway 99 north of Whitmore Avenue, Sgt. Keith Griebel wrote in a media report. Both suspects received medical treatment.
The incident began at about 9:30 p.m. Friday night when Ceres Police Officer Matthew Johnson ran the license plate on the green 1994 Honda Accord Costumbre drove. The license plate was registered to a 2014 Chevrolet, so police said the officer activated his patrol car’s emergency lights and sirens. Costumbre reportedly accelerated and evaded Johnson, driving onto Highway 99 at Whitmore Avenue and passing cars on the right shoulder.
The chase continued on Hatch Road and throughout city streets back to Hatch, police said. Johnson and other officers then followed Costumbre onto Highway 99 heading south. Driving over 80 miles per hour, Costumbre again passed cars on the right shoulder before crashing into the center median, police said.
Police later found the car Costumbre drove was stolen in Modesto earlier Friday. Costumbre also had an outstanding arrest warrant for allegedly stealing a vehicle and possessing stolen property from the Modesto Police Department.
