That was hardly an ideal place to hide.
A California suspect’s attempt to escape along the freeway came to an unusual end when police used a vehicle-stopping Grappler device. After abandoning the car, the wanted man crawled into a storm drain — but officers soon caught up with him.
The strange pursuit unfolded in Corona in early October. Police dashcam video shows the dramatic arrest after the chase shifted from the roadway to an underground drainage channel.
The pursuit moved along the westbound 91 Freeway near the Green River Road exit. Once the chase entered Corona, Riverside police requested assistance from their FLEX Team. Officers then successfully deployed the Grappler, bringing the suspect’s vehicle to a stop.
The driver, however, had no intention of surrendering just yet.
He fled on foot and slipped into a storm drain, apparently hoping the narrow passage would help him avoid capture. Police searched the area, located him inside the drain and took him into custody without further incident.
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According to the incident summary, the suspect was wanted on an active felony warrant and faced an allegation of reckless evading.
The unusual hiding attempt followed the use of Riverside police’s Grappler technology, which the department introduced in September. The device had already been successfully used to stop a pursuit in late August.
In this case, the equipment ended the freeway portion of the chase, although the suspect’s decision to run created one last complication before officers made the arrest.
The incident involved the Riverside and Corona police departments. What began as a freeway pursuit ultimately concluded with the suspect’s unsuccessful effort to disappear beneath the roadway.
For the fleeing driver, stopping the car was only the first step toward facing police — and crawling into a storm drain proved to be anything but a successful escape plan.
Authorities ultimately detained the suspect without any further incident.