Police Pursuit Through Old Town Seal Beach Ends In An Arrest

SEAL BEACH, CA — A 29-year-old man from Represa was arrested Saturday afternoon in connection to a police pursuit through Old Town Seal Beach involving a stolen car, authorities said.

Richard Ortiz was booked on suspicion of possession of a stolen car, resisting or delaying a police officer and failing to yield for an emergency vehicle, the Seal Beach Police Department said.

Ortiz is held at the Theo Lacy Facility on $120,000 bail, according to Orange County jail records.

Seal Beach police Lt. Nick Nicholas said a motorcycle officer attempted to stop a car for a traffic violation around 12:11 p.m. on Saturday. Instead of stopping, the car drove away and took police officers on a chase through the Old Town area, Nicholas said.

The chase eventually ended on 12th Street, between Electric and Landing avenues, when the driver of the car attempted to flee by foot, according to Nicholas.

The driver was acting erratically and refused to follow orders from police officers, and a stun device was used on him, Nicholas said.

He added the driver was taken into custody and identified as Ortiz.

"Once the scene was safe, officers discovered the vehicle which Ortiz was driving had been stolen earlier that morning in Los Angeles," Nicholas said.

"The stolen vehicle was returned to the registered owner."