By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
For city police, it was one thing after another this weekend: from teens involved in hit-and run crashes, to a melee at an engagement party to a helicopter chase of a middle-aged reckless driver.
The trouble began at 8 p.m. Saturday.
A woman said she was crossing Interstate 80, northbound on Truxel Road, when a car in front of her rolled backward, striking her car.
Next thing she knew, the driver who hit her car took off. Frustrated, she decided to follow, notifying police as she pursued the car.
She told police the driver was swerving.
City police reported they caught up with the two cars at a nearby shopping complex. Police arrested a 16-year-old girl on suspicion of drug possession, misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving without a license. Police said they found a large amount of Vicodin in her car.
Police said they detained another teen a few hours later after a fight broke out at a store in the 2600 block of Rio Linda Blvd. According to police, the juvenile tried to steal beer. Employees recognized him from previous beer thefts. They followed him, reclaimed the beer, locked the door and a fight ensued. Once officers arrived, they cited the teen and released him to his parents.
Then, shortly before midnight on West El Camino Avenue at Orchard Lane, a vehicle hit two parked cars and took off, police said.
When an officer arrived and began following a car in the neighborhood, the driver sped away. A short pursuit followed, ending when the suspect crashed his car into a center median and then ran. Police said they apprehended the 19-year-old suspect, who was intoxicated.
At about the same time, over in South Natomas in the 4900 block of Duckhorn Drive, numerous fights broke out at an engagement party, police said.
They took a 27-year-old man into custody after they found he had a loaded gun in his pants pocket.
Meanwhile, police got a call about a reckless driver in the south area on Pocket Road near Nasca Way. A department helicopter pilot detected the errant vehicle and followed it until other officers arrived. But police attempts to get the motorist to pull over failed. Near Blackwater Drive, the driver slowed to 5 mph, crossed into the opposing lanes of traffic and stopped.
Police arrested Jan Loomis, 55, on suspicion of felony reckless evasion of a police officer and for misdemeanor driving with a blood alcohol of 0.08 percent or more.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.