[UPDATE 4:35 p.m.] Robbery Suspects flee police in wild pursuit through Mendocino County
Background photo by Oliver Cory
A high-speed police pursuit is unfolding this afternoon along Highway 101 through inland Mendocino County, with law enforcement chasing two robbery suspects reportedly fleeing in a vehicle with a small dog on board, hitting speeds of 100 miles per hour.
The chase appears to have started near Willits shortly before 2:37 p.m., when officers attempted to stop a vehicle occupied by two Black male adults. By 2:39 p.m., the suspects were clocked at 60 mph heading through North Main Street in medium traffic, according to scanner traffic.
California Highway Patrol has been alerted, and officers have discussed deploying spike strips as the vehicle may be linked to multiple recent robberies.
A vehicle wrecked south of Reeves Canyon Road. We believe it may be law enforcement but the suspect vehicle continues.
As of 2:52 p.m., the pursuit is continuing southbound on Highway 101, and the vehicle is approaching the turn off to State Route 20.
Please remember that this story is unfolding. Information is being reported as we gather it. However, some of the information coming from witnesses and initial official reports could be wrong. We will do our best to get the facts but, in the case that something is inaccurate, we will update with correct information as soon as we can.
UPDATE 3 p.m.: The two robbery suspects have been taken into custody following a high-speed pursuit that began near Willits this afternoon. The chase ended near the State Route 20 turnoff, where California Highway Patrol officers successfully apprehended both individuals.
Southbound Highway 101 was closed near the Lake Mendocino Drive exit as law enforcement secures the scene but has now reopened.
A small dog that was reportedly in the suspect vehicle has been located and appears unharmed.
Traffic on both sides of Highway 101 near Reeves Canyon is affected. Northbound is nearly at a stop. And southbound is moving very slowly.
UPDATE 3:14 p.m.: A reader passing the accident scene tells us, “It looked like a cop car wrecked and a semi truck was also involved as well as a large pickup.” This has not been confirmed by official sources at this point.
UPDATE 4:35 p.m.: The CHP Traffic Incident Information Page reports that the crash involving the large truck and the CHP vehicle resulted in minor injuries.
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Hope the chp and innocent civilians are ok. Glad the dog survived. Now these two goons hopefully get fleeing resulting in multiple wrecks and injuries added to their list of felonies. Did this dog happen to be one they burgled due to it being a valuable breed like a French Bulldog? Hmmmm. If so, they suck even harder and deserve picking up dog crap all day long for the next 50 years at the local pound.
I too wonder if they stole the dog.
Arrest the dog! It might have been the mastermind, barking orders the whole time!
If it was a Frenchie, you might be right.
Later, when the Dog was questioned from the backseat of the vehicle, while standing on the armrest and poking its head through the half rolled down window opening, it spoke with a clear “th” lisp, a result of high speed winds stretching the Dog’s tongue to twice it’s length, said, “That wath thooo awethome, leth do it again. Again again again. PLEATHE!?!!”