Valley Springs, CA…On 02-13-17 at about 0710 hours, Calaveras County Sheriff’s Deputies investigated a burglary to the CCWD Water Treatment Plant on Campbell Road in Valley Springs. Deputies learned that multiple tools were taken including a 2008 Ford 350 truck with a utility bed. At 1316 hours, Deputies located the vehicle matching the description traveling on Quail Oaks Road and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The vehicle initially complied and stopped. However, as Deputies attempted to make contact with driver, he pulled away. The suspect additionally stopped two more times in which he waited for the deputies to exit their patrol vehicle before he continued to evade the deputies. The suspect led deputies on a 20 mile vehicle pursuit that lasted 30 minutes through highways and county roads. The vehicle pursuit was turned over to the California Highway Patrol at Highway 12 and Haskell Road in Wallace. The suspect was pursued for over an hour before CHP terminated the pursuit for safety reasons.

At about 1620 hours, the vehicle and stolen property was located on the 4700 block of Lakeview drive in Valley Springs. A witness on scene had observed a male driver flee the vehicle and enter a nearby wooded area. The Sheriff’s Department received information that the suspect was located on Hillvale Drive and Kitty Hawk Court and was being detained by a witness. California Highway Patrol, CHP Investigative Service Unit-Valley Division, and Calaveras County Sheriff Deputies responded to the location and placed 24 year old Octavio Hernandez under arrest. Suspect Octavio Hernandez was booked into the Calaveras County Jail for 2800.2 CVC, 460(a) (1) P.C. and 496(d) (a) P.C. Bail was set at $75,000.

This case is still active and further follow-up is being conducted.