A 20-year-old Rialto man was arrested Sunday evening after allegedly carjacking an acquaintance in Temecula and leading deputies on a pursuit that ended with a crash in Murrieta, authorities said.
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched shortly before 6 p.m. to the 29000 block of Rancho California Road after a caller reported a man he knew refused to leave his vehicle.
While on the phone with dispatchers, the caller reported that the man tried to fight him, took his keys and drove off. Deputies located the suspect near Ynez Road and Overland Drive, but he sped away northbound on Interstate 15.
The chase ended at Whitewood Road and Meadowlark Lane in Murrieta when the suspect crashed into another vehicle. He ran from the scene but was caught by deputies a short distance away.
The driver was identified as Daniel Jsean Hankins, 20, of Rialto. Jail records show he was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning just after 1 a.m. Monday on suspicion of carjacking, evading police, obstructing an officer, and vandalism.
Hankins remained in custody Monday in lieu of $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Murrieta’s Southwest Justice Center.
No serious injuries were reported in the crash. Southbound Whitewood Road from Keller Road to Meadowlark Lane was closed for several hours during the investigation and reopened around 9 p.m.
