Santa Rosa boy, 13, leads deputies on chase in stolen SUV

A 13-year-old Santa Rosa boy suspected of stealing an SUV and leading Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies on a dangerous chase through the South Park neighborhood was taken into custody early Friday morning.

The youth, whose name was not released because of his age, was booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall after his wild ride on suspicion of vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, assault with deadly weapon against a peace officer and felony evasion.

The chase began shortly before midnight when a deputy tried to pull over a Nissan Xterra for a mechanical violation near the intersection of Santa Rosa Avenue and Petaluma Hill Road.

The youth sped off, speeding wildly down residential streets and footpaths, reaching speeds of 60 mph before crashing into a light pole just south of Kawana Elementary School, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

He fled on foot, avoided capture for a while, but was eventually spotted running from cover in bushes around 1 a.m. and tackled by a deputy after a brief foot chase, officials said.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 707-521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com.