Robbery Suspect Arrested After 50-Mile Pursuit In San Diego County

SPRING VALLEY, CA — A man was arrested Tuesday after stealing another man's cellphone during a dispute over his driving, then leading deputies on a 50-mile pursuit through San Diego County, authorities said.

The incident began shortly after 7 p.m. on Par Drive in an unincorporated area near La Mesa, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities said Vernon Leslie Harris IV, 40, got into a verbal dispute with another man who was photographing Harris' pickup truck. Harris got out of his truck, grabbed the cellphone from the man's hand and drove away, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies tracked the phone to the 400 block of El Cajon Boulevard in El Cajon, where they spotted Harris' truck and attempted to pull him over, officials said.

Harris refused to stop, leading deputies on a pursuit that lasted more than an hour and 40 minutes, according to the sheriff's office. Authorities said he ran at least one stop sign and one red light and swerved across multiple lanes. The pursuit covered about 50 miles, with speeds reaching 60 mph.

Deputies and other law enforcement agencies used three tire-deflation devices to end the pursuit without further incident, according to the sheriff's office.

Harris was arrested on suspicion of robbery, evading and obstructing a peace officer, and committing a felony while out on bail. He was booked into San Diego Central Jail.

Anyone with information was asked to call the sheriff's Rancho San Diego Station at 619-660-7090.