Pursuit suspect ditches car, leads police on hunt in apartment complex in Linda Vista – NBC 7 San Diego

Police arrested a pursuit suspect who led police on a chase from Orange County to an apartment complex in Linda Vista where he ditched his SUV and tried to run away.

Tustin Police initiated the pursuit in Santa Ana at around 4:15 p.m. and continued chasing the driver in a reportedly stolen white Cadillac SUV, according to Tustin PD Lt. Ryan Coe. The California Highway Patrol took the pursuit over on I-5 south at the CA-133 and chased the Cadillac into San Diego County.

While driving southbound through San Diego County, a black SUV pulled in front of the Cadillac and appeared to try and block the pursuit suspect from passing. That stopped when the Cadillac got off the freeway at Murray Ridge on southbound Interstate 805 and continued on city streets before pulling into the complex on Camino Degrazia.

The driver looped around a culdesac multiple times, dodging spike strips, before crashing into brush next to a building. The driver then got out of the SUV and ran through the complex. SkyRanger 7 flew over the area and followed the suspect as he weaved in and out of buildings.

A resident of the complex said a police dog mistakenly bit their neighbor, biting him on the arm and pulling him into the brush.

Police took the suspect, identified as 47-year-old Alfredo Estrada from Santa Ana, into custody minutes later. He was booked into San Diego County Jail.

The driver of the black SUV was pulled over on southbound Interstate 805 at Murray Ridge Road, cited and released, according to San Diego-area CHP Officer Sal Castro.

This is a developing story. Keep checking as NBC 7 will update this page with more info as it arrives.