SAN DIEGO — A driver who led police on a 45-minute pursuit through San Diego is in custody after attempting to flee near the San Diego International Airport.
San Diego Police Watch Commander said the chase started near 4400 El Cajon Blvd. in Talmadge with a report of a person crying inside the vehicle. When police approached the vehicle around 12:15 p.m. the car took off and lead officers on a slow-speed chase through different streets.
The fleeing motorist, whose name was not immediately available, traveled over various mid-city streets in a white Chevy sedan before heading west on University Avenue through City Heights, North Park and Hillcrest.
Early on in the chase, the driver ran over a spike strip laid out by police in his path, winding up with at least one flat tire on his car, Officer Tony Martinez said.
After crisscrossing streets near Scripps Mercy Hospital, the man -- who appeared to be talking on a cellphone throughout the pursuit -- headed south on Fifth Avenue, driving against light traffic on the one-way northbound thoroughfare.
Reaching downtown San Diego, the motorist crisscrossed the busy urban center for about 15 minutes, often driving at slow speeds, blowing through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction on one-way streets as police cruisers and an SDPD helicopter tailed him and officers placed more spike strips ahead of him.
Eventually, he proceeded west through the Cortez Hill and Little Italy districts on B Street, then north on Pacific Highway, at one point driving onto a sidewalk to evade the pursuing police personnel.
Just after 1 p.m., the suspect pulled up in front of the rental car return on Admiral Boland Way and tried to run before being taken into custody after a brief struggle.
Chopper 8 was overhead filming the pursuit. It can be watched below.