Wild Chase Ends In Arrest Of Two Suspects

A wild chase through two cities and a freeway -- which at one point included going the wrong way on Highway Four -- involving officers from four police agencies, came to an end yesterday as a green BMW driven by a man wanted for suspicion of armed robbery was finally stopped at the intersection of Alhambra Avenue and Highway Four.

According to Lt. Gwen Brady of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department, deputies spotted a car driven by Jerome Wingert, 29, as he was driving near the Royal Sheraton in Concord. Instead of pulling over, Wingert sped up and led deputies on a chase through Concord.

Wingert eventually wound up on Highway Four, pursued by Sheriff's deputies, Concord police and the California Highway Patrol. Wingert led officers to Martinez, where he took the Morello Street offramp and wound his way through city streets. At that point, Martinez police joined the chase.

At the Pine Street intersection, Wingert got on Highway Four going the wrong way. The pursuit continued until Wingert was finally forced to come to a stop at the end of the Alhambra Avenue exit, where he was arrested, along with another man, Nicholas Haro, also 29.

Both men asked for medical assistance shortly after being stopped, Brady said, claiming that they were suffering from anxiety attacks. Those claims proved to be unfounded, she said. They were both booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

"This man is a menace," Brady said. "He was wanted by several agencies for several things. And he obviously had no regard for public safety."