Boy, 17, Suspect in DUI, Stolen Car and Evading an Officer (Twice!)

Here's one way to celebrate a 17th birthday: A boy from Novato was injured and later arrested Wednesday following a short car chase and two separate chases on foot in San Rafael, the California Highway Patrol said.

CHP dispatchers sent out a notice for a reckless and possibly impaired driver at about 1 p.m., and Officer Ross Ingels parked along Highway 101 near Manual T. Freitas Parkway in Terra Linda observed the suspect’s car shortly thereafter, according to Officer Chris Rardin.

Ingels followed the 1999 Honda Accord on southbound 101 and watched it make an abrupt swerve from the fast lane to the Lincoln Avenue offramp. Ingels started to stop the Honda on southbound Lincoln Avenue, and the driver put on the right blinker as if to pull over, then sped away on Lincoln, Rardin said.

Within a few blocks, the driver went into a skid as he attempted to turn left onto Lindon Lane and lost control, sliding into the Famous Market & Deli at the southwest corner of the intersection, according to the CHP report.

The driver got out of his car and ran away, but Ingels caught him.

Ingels then heard the sound of what he believed was injured people inside the deli, so he placed the suspect in his patrol car and asked a citizen to watch the suspect. While Ingels was in the deli, the person on watch duty came in to say the suspect had gotten out of the patrol car and ran away again.

Ingels took off again, found the suspect and escorted him back to the patrol car a second time.

The driver was taken to Marin General Hospital for evaluation, then arrested on suspicion of evading an officer, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, possession of a stolen vehicle and driving without a license.

There were three employees working inside the deli when the car hit it and caved in part of the wall. Indeejit Cheema was working with his cousin when the car came crashing through. His cousin, who was at the register, fell face down from the impact and his feet were jammed under the car, Cheema said.

“I was so scared,” Cheema said, “but I just dug him out.”

Cheema’s cousin had his elbow bandaged and did not receive additional medical attention at the time following the incident.

— Nicole Ely of San Rafael Patch contributed to this report.