Miguel Morales, 36, of Patterson was arrested after he led Ceres Police on a high-speed pursuit in a stolen vehicle on Thursday evening.

Ceres Police Sgt. Vince Hooper spotted the stolen car at 10:22 p.m. traveling eastbound on Hatch Road near Church Avenue and followed it onto southbound Church Avenue. Once another patrol unit joined, Sgt. Hooper tried to stop the car but Morales accelerated onto northbound Midway Avenue from Dover Avenue. Officers attempted to use stop sticks to deflate the tires  at Morgan Road and Nelson Avenue but Morales drove around them.

The pursuit went onto southbound Morgan Road and onto eastbound Whitmore Avenue at over 80 mph. The Sheriff’s Department helicopter, Air 101, was called in as the chase went onto northbound Highway 99 and accelerated to over 100 mph. The California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit near the Woodland Avenue overpass. Sgt. Hooper and canine Officer Kiashira Ruiz trailed the pursuit at normal speeds.

With the helicopter crew continued tracking the stolen car, CHP units backed off. The driver stopped in the 5100 block of Kiernan Avenue near an auto wrecking yard and fled onto the property on foot. Law enforcement set up a perimeter as Sgt. Hooper and Officer Ruiz assisted in the search for Morales. He was eventually found hiding under a pickup. After refusing to come out, canine Leo pulled the suspect out by the foot. 

Morales faces charges of evading a police officer, auto theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license.