Man Leads Cops On Chase From Hemet To MoVal In Stolen Car

HEMET, CA — A parolee suspected of stealing a car in Hemet and leading law enforcement on a 30-mile chase into Moreno Valley before he was apprehended was being held Tuesday without bail.

Andrew Devin Barnes, 34, of Hemet was arrested and booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning Thursday night on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, felony evading, reckless driving, resisting arrest and parole violations.

It all started around 7 p.m. Thursday in the city of Hemet, when a police officer spotted a red Saturn Vue and ran a records check on it — only to find out the vehicle had been reported stolen on Aug. 17, according to Hemet Police Lt. Nate Miller.

The driver, later identified as Barnes, initially pulled over when signaled by police, according to Miller. However, he soon took off.

"As officers converged on the area and began giving commands to the occupants of the stolen
Saturn, the driver fled the parking lot and a pursuit was initiated," Miller said in a news release. "The pursuit traveled several surface streets in the City of Hemet and the City of San Jacinto before eventually heading westbound on Florida Avenue toward the Homeland area where the Riverside County Sheriff’s airship arrived to assist."

Barnes eventually turned onto northbound Interstate 215, Miller said.

California Highway Patrol officers took over the high-speed pursuit, with a Riverside County sheriff's helicopter crew monitoring overhead, Miller said.

When the suspect reached Moreno Valley, he stopped on Golden Crest Drive and bailed out of the Saturn, leaving his female companion, whose identity was not released, sitting in the front passenger seat, according to the lieutenant.

Officers quickly caught up to Barnes and took him into custody without further incident.

The woman was questioned and released at the scene.

According to Miller, Barnes has a recent conviction for assault with a deadly weapon.

— City News Service contributed to this report.