Salinas man arrested after leading officers on chase in stolen car

Salinas police arrested a man Monday afternoon after they say he led them on a short chase in a stolen vehicle.

Around 2 p.m. officer spotted a car at Bolero Street and East Laurel Drive that had been reported stolen out of San Jose. The driver sped away with the officer following him. The suspect’s erratic driving and traffic conditions prompted the officer to call off the pursuit when the driver sped into a shopping center parking lot. Soon after, officers received a call that the stolen car had struck a curb at Rosarita Drive and St. Francis Way and that two people had fled from the car.

Officers eventually found Orlando Gonzales Perez, 20, and arrested him. They say that while he was hiding from police, he broke into a nearby home and stole clothing in order to try to conceal his identity. A small amount of narcotics were found in the stolen car.