By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Wanted man leads police on high-speed chase into Turlock
Randell Keene.jpg
Randell Keene

A 52-year-old man who was wanted for a prior assault with a deadly weapon was arrested Friday morning, Dec. 21 after leading Ceres Police on a high-speed chase from Ceres to Turlock.

The incident occurred at 8 a.m. when Officer Charles Rushing was on patrolling through the 700 block of South Seventh Street when he saw a car pass a school bus stopped to offload students and which activated the pop-out stop sign. Rushing initiated a traffic stop on Randell Keene, 52, of Ceres, who pulled over. But as he waited for Officer Rushing to get out of his patrol vehicle, Keene accelerated, said Ceres Police Department spokesman Sgt. Greg Yotsuya.

Officer Rushing took off in pursuit of Keene who traveled onto southbound Highway 99 at speeds of up to 100 mph. Because Rushing’s patrol car began having mechanical failure of the emergency light bar as the pursuit entered Turlock, he pulled over as other Ceres officers joined the pursuit.

Before the California Highway Patrol could get into position to take over, the pursuit was terminated at a construction area on Highway 99 near Bradbury north of Delhi. As officers turned off their emergency lights and sirens and took the Bradbury exit to head back to Ceres, they spotted Keene’s car as it attempted to make a U-turn in the highway median. The car became stuck and Keene took off on foot. After a short foot chase, Keene was arrested.

Found to have a felony arrest warrant for assault with a deadly weapon, Keene was booked on that and a new felony charge of evading a police officer.