ESCONDIDO, Calif. — Four suspects involved in the crash of a stolen vehicle that slammed into a Mexican restaurant in Escondido are in custody Friday.
Hans Velasquez, 20, of Oceanside, and 19-year-old Anthony Quezada, of Escondido and two unidentified women were being held at the Escondido Jail, Lt. Bode Berreth of the Escondido Police Department told City News Service.
Sgt. Damon Smith of the Oceanside Police Department confirmed to City News Service the vehicle involved in the crash was stolen from a parking garage at 290 Seagaze Drive in Oceanside earlier Thursday.
The crash was reported at 10:15 p.m. Thursday and officers from the Escondido Police Department responded to Frida's Fish Tacos at 675 E. Valley Parkway, where multiple vehicles were damaged in the crash.
Before the crash, Berreth said an unrelated motorist saw the stolen dark-colored Subaru Forester and called in a possible driving while intoxicated report to police. Shortly afterward, the vehicle ran a red light at Fig Street and Valley Parkway, then collided with a pickup before smashing into the restaurant.
The driver of the pickup, which video showed sustained substantial front-end damage, was ejected from the truck by the collision, Berreth said. He was taken to a Palomar Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Berreth said police believe the two male suspects carjacked the Subaru Forester at knifepoint in Oceanside and "somewhere along the way they picked up two females and two juveniles," ages four and five.
Police set up a perimeter around the area and took Velasquez and Quezada into custody a short distance away from the crash site. The two female suspects remained at the scene and were arrested there, Berreth said.
One female suspect and both of the children were taken to different hospitals with minor injuries.
Velasquez was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, driving under the influence, hit-and-run and child endangerment. Quezada was also arrested on suspicion of carjacking.
Berreth said the investigation is ongoing.