Crime & Safety

Three Arrested After High-Speed Pursuit in Poway

The pursuit that began on Poway Road lasted just over a mile, ending with a crash into a brick wall.

A brief high-speed pursuit that began on Poway Road early Tuesday morning ended with the suspect vehicle crashing into a brick wall on the northeast corner of Pomerado and Holland roads, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Three people that were in the car were taken into custody, with one taken to a hospital but eventually cleared for booking, according to Sgt. Tim Matzkiw. A loaded sawed-off shotgun was found in the vehicle.

The pursuit began when sheriff’s Cpl. Chris Lawrence saw a vehicle with an equipment violation driving westbound in the 12800 block of Poway Road around 12:22 a.m. Tuesday. Lawrence turned on his emergency lights and attempted to pull over the vehicle near the intersection of Poway Road and Ridgedale Drive.

Find out what's happening in Powaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The suspect vehicle drove through a parking lot and pulled back onto westbound Poway Road in an attempt to flee, and Lawrence broadcast that he was in pursuit. The vehicle turned onto northbound Pomerado Road and reached speeds of 85 mph.

The driver slowed down before attempting an eastbound turn onto Holland Road, but he lost control and hit a brick wall head on, causing major front-end damage to the vehicle, according to Matzkiw. The pursuit lasted about 1.3 miles. The three suspects in the car were taken into custody without further incident.

Find out what's happening in Powaywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to Matzkiw, the driver was 19-year-old Samuel Gillespie, the front-seat passenger was 20-year-old Milton Rodgers, and the rear passenger was 19-year-old Haylie Means.  

Gillespie is on probation and was charged with felony evading. His bail was set at $50,000. Rodgers was taken to a hospital after complaining of pain in his right leg. He is a convicted felon currently on probation. He was charged with seven felonies and is not eligible for bail. Means was charged with possession of stolen property and has been released from custody.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.