Valley Springs, CA…On May 19th, 2020, at about 8:10 PM, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a report of a suspicious vehicle near the Dollar General Store, Valley Springs. The reporting person stated the four subjects associated with the vehicle were looking in vehicles and appeared to be casing the store for about one hour. Dispatch notified the closest unit and described the suspect’s vehicle.

The sheriff’s unit was staffed with a corporal and a new deputy in week 4 of the field-training program. While responding east on Hwy 26, the deputies observed the suspect vehicle, occupied with a driver and three passengers, pass them traveling westbound on Hwy 26. As the deputies turned to intercept the suspect vehicle, they observed the suspect vehicle passing vehicles over double lines. The deputies caught up to the suspect vehicle and attempted an enforcement stop.

The suspect failed to yield to the traffic stop and accelerated to a high rate of speed in an attempt to escape. The California Highway Patrol and San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office were alerted to the vehicle pursuit and asked to assist. As the deputies pursued the vehicle, they noted the vehicle (Lexus sedan) was displaying a license plate that was registered to an Isuzu SUV.

CHP Officers took over the pursuit on Jack Tone Rd near Copperopolis Rd. (rural San Joaquin County near Stockton). CHP pursued the suspect vehicle until the suspect crashed at Waterloo Rd and North Filbert ST. (Stockton). CHP and San Joaquin deputies were able to take all four persons into custody. During the investigation, interview of the suspect, and interview of occupants, it was discovered the vehicle was stolen from an area outside Calaveras County.

According to the occupants, they asked to be let out of the vehicle during the pursuit; however, the driver refused to stop. The Driver, Kevin Anthony Perry (18 years old, Oakland) was charged with 2800.2 VC Felony Evading, 10851VC Vehicle Theft (Felony), 496 (D) Larceny (Felony), Three counts of 207 PC Kidnapping (Felony) and 148(a)(1) PC Resisting Arrest (Misdemeanor). He was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail with a bail of $1,500,000.00 and an outstanding warrant issued out of San Francisco for 211PC First Degree Robbery (Felony).

The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the allied agencies for their assistance in this investigation. We would also like to thank the alert citizens who notified us of their observations. This is an excellent example of the community and law enforcement working in partnership to prevent crime.