Santa Cruz man leads police on wild ride, deputies get help from good Samaritan

A 25-year-old Santa Cruz man led police on wild ride in a stolen car Saturday night that ended with a good Samaritan holding down the suspect long enough for deputies to arrest him after a wreck on Highway 17, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Sgt. Chris Clark, the suspect, Tyler Evenson, broke into a man’s home in Santa Cruz and stole the keys to a GMC Yukon. Evenson ran out of the house, got into the car and sped off. A short time later, deputies spotted Evenson driving the stolen SUV in the area of La Fonda and Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz. According to Sgt. Clark, deputies tried to pullover Evenson, but he didn’t stop, eventually crashing into a dirt embankment near Vine Hill Road off of Highway 17. Evenson then reversed the SUV and collided with a patrol vehicle taking it out of the chase.

Sgt. Clark said the chase ended when Evenson drove the SUV the wrong way on Highway 17 and crashed head on into an oncoming vehicle near Sugarloaf Road. It didn’t stop there though, according to Sgt. Clark, the suspect started to run away and even tried to steal another car, but the driver of that vehicle grabbed Evenson and held him down until deputies could arrest him.

“Miraculously, no one was seriously injured,” Sgt. Clark said in a post on Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Facebook.

According to Clark, Evenson is now facing a long list of charges including carjacking, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, evading a Peace Officer, hit and run causing injury and resisting or delaying a Peace Officer.

No word on when Evenson is expected in court.