Armed suspect arrested after carjacking pickup truck, stealing CHP cruiser

PALMDALE – A 29-year-old man who allegedly carjacked two vehicles and led deputies and California Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed chase through the Antelope Valley was arrested after crashing a CHP cruiser he stole while being chased in the Rosamond area in Kern County, authorities said.

The chase began about 5:05 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Palmdale, where deputies tried to pull over the suspect’s car because he was suspected of driving recklessly and possibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

At 5:24 p.m. the CHP was informed that deputies were in pursuit of a vehicle wanted for assault on a deputy and that a man and a woman were in the suspect vehicle, according to a CHP news statement.

The CHP spotted the vehicle and tried to initiate a stop at 5:26 p.m., which failed and a pursuit began.

The pursuit ended when the suspect’s vehicle drove into the desert and became disabled.

The male driver, Juan Jose Galvez, exited the vehicle armed with a handgun and carjacked a pickup truck resulting in a short pursuit, according to the CHP news statement.

Galvez drove into the desert and the pickup truck became disabled.

The male driver and female passenger ran off and the pursuing officers lost sight of them; then “the male subject was able to turn back and entered an unoccupied CHP vehicle,” according to the CHP news statement.

The stolen CHP unit subsequently stopped when it was disabled after leaving the paved roadway. Galvez was taken into custody at 6:16 p.m. on Rosamond Boulevard, west of 140th Street West in Kern County.

His female passenger was taken into custody at 8:10 p.m. after a search of the area. Both suspects were booked at the sheriff’s Palmdale station. A handgun was recovered from the stolen pickup truck. There were no injuries to any CHP officers.

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