A parolee swam across a Folsom pond to evade capture Wednesday night, but was eventually nabbed by a police dog, a Folsom police spokesman said today.
The soggy escapade began when a motorist reported a suspected drunken driver swerving down Blue Ravine Road near Big Valley Road, the spokesman said.
The caller provided a license plate number, which allowed police to catch up with the driver near Oak Avenue Parkway and Blue Ravine.
The spokesman gave this account of events:
A chase escalated to 100 mph in two minutes.
The driver, Eric Joseph Souza, left, 29, of Mather, crashed the stolen Acura Integra when he missed at turn onto Iron Point Road from Oak Avenue Parkway.
Souza ran through fields along Highway 50, before reaching a pond. In an attempt to evade officers, police said Souza swam to the far side of the pond.
Citrus Heights responded with a police dog and the dog found Souza after an hour.
He was arrested on suspicion of car theft, evading police, possession of stolen property and a parole violation, the police spokesman said.
Souza is linked to burglaries throughout Folsom, he said.
A search of his home March 29 resulted in police finding items stolen from Folsom burglaries, he said.
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