Tag: Highway 101

Two men from Solano County were arrested on suspicion of multiple felonies following a lengthy pursuit on Highway 101 along the Northern California coast over the weekend.

According to the Ukiah Police Department, the incident began on Saturday, when officers were notified by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office about an investigation into the alleged theft of firearms. The sheriff’s office alerted authorities about two adult male suspects traveling in a gray Toyota Matrix hatchback heading southbound on the highway.

Mendocino County sheriff’s deputies along with the California Highway Patrol located the Toyota near the community of Willits and attempted to pull over the vehicle. Police said the suspects failed to yield and initiated a pursuit that had to be discontinued due to hazardous conditions.

“During the chase, the suspects drove recklessly at high speeds—often in the wrong direction of traffic—posing significant danger to the public,” police said in a statement.

Officers in Ukiah, about 20 miles south of Willits, positioned themselves on the highway at North State Street to assist. The officers deployed stop sticks, which deflated the suspect vehicle’s front tires.

Police said the suspects continued their pursuit through Ukiah, even after both front tires detached from the vehicle. The pursuit ended south of the town of Hopland, more than 30 miles from where the vehicle was first spotted, and the suspects were taken into custody without further incident.

Officers identified the suspects as 28-year-old Elie Raphael JeanBaptiste of Vacaville and 23-year-old Dominique Jason Gulick of Vallejo.

Police said an investigation determined Gulick had thrown a backpack containing an assault rifle from the vehicle near the Cal Fire station north of Hopland. Meanwhile, JeanBaptiste was found to be on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) out of Solano County for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Gulick was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on possession of stolen property, destruction of evidence, possession of an assault weapon and conspiracy. JeanBaptiste was booked on a PRCS violation, possession of an assault weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, felony evading, possession of stolen property, conspiracy and other offenses.

Police said Gulick is being held on $300,000 bail, while JeanBaptiste is being held without bail.