Chase ends quietly

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- A 32-year-old man led police on a brief pursuit through

residential areas Thursday morning, at one point nearly running a patrol

car off the road before turning himself in, officials said.

It started off fast as Jesse De Quinteros Goens of Costa Mesa raced

through small residential neighborhoods at about 50 mph, Lt. Dale Birney

said.

“Clearly he wanted to get away,� he said.

The incident began near 19th Street and Placentia Avenue about 8:30

a.m. when an officer tried to stop Goens after running his license plate

through the police system and finding that it was not on file, Birney

said.

He said Goens did not stop, accelerated and took off, driving through

the residential streets adjacent to 19th Street, between Center and

Hamilton streets.

“During the first half of the pursuit, he was going pretty fast,�

Birney said. “It seemed like half way into the chase he almost collided

with another parked vehicle. After that he slowed down.�

The pursuit ended shortly after, when Goens pulled into the Smart &

Final at the corner of Pomona Avenue and 19th Street.

“He stopped, followed the officers’ commands and basically gave

himself up,� Birney said.

Goens had two outstanding warrants -- a no-bail warrant on a charge of

possessing marijuana for sale, and another charge of violating a court

order for not paying child or spousal support. Bail on that second charge

was set at $15,000, Birney said.

He said officers are looking into whether Goens was trying to escape

in a stolen vehicle.

Goens was arrested on suspicion of stealing a vehicle, evading an

officer and driving with a suspended license. Birney said he was also

arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon

-- in this case, his car, when he forced an officer coming in the

opposite direction to drive over the curb.

Goens is being held in Costa Mesa City Jail without bail based on his

outstanding warrant. He is expected to be arraigned today.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .