(Press Release) A failure to yield on Highway 49 near Redbud early Friday morning escalated into a foot chase, and the eventual capture of a man now facing vehicle theft and residential burglary charges. Mountain authorities do not believe he acted alone.
While it took less than an hour to hunt down the 27-year-old parolee, it would take authorities all day to learn his true identity.
Mark Molina of Concord, California insisted his name was Chad Steven Jergason. A Live Scan not only revealed his real name but a slew of aliases as well: Mark Booters, John Mays, Alex Molina and Timothy Moss.
According to reports, shortly after 9:30 a.m., a CHP Officer tried to pull a GMC Acadia over as it was traveling northbound on Highway 49 in Oakhurst. Instead of yielding, [Molina] turned left onto a dirt road just south of Redbud, and then drove through a fence.
Molina took off running and Sheriff Deputies were called in to assist in his apprehension.
A deputy found the suspect hiding near Bollinger and Acorn, roughly a quarter mile away from the scene of the crash, and took him into custody without further incident.
The vehicle, found to be stolen, was filled with a number of household items, along with a receipt to a Bass Lake residence. When Officers went to check on the home they found the doors open and the house ransacked.
Because there were no signs of forced entry, Deputies suspect the point of entry was through a doggy door.
The vehicle and stolen property belong to the Bass Lake homeowner, but not everything has been recovered. Deputies say a good number of the victim’s personal possessions are still missing.
Based on information Deputies have gathered so far, the burglary happened at around 8:30 Friday morning. And they believe there were others involved.
Anyone with information is urged to call either the Madera County Sheriff’s Department at 559-675-7770 or CRIME STOPPERS at 498-STOP. An anonymous tip could be worth up to a thousand dollars.
Molina was booked into the Madera County Department of Corrections on suspicion of burglary, vehicle theft and possession of stolen property. He is on parole for a felony drug conviction, and remains jailed without bail.
TXT 24
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