K-9 Koda Clamps Fleeing Suspect in 40-Minute Chase

A few residents of El Cerrito and Richmond got an early-morning wake-up call from police chasing a truck-theft suspect for 40 minutes along city streets, police said.

The vehicle part of the pursuit ended after the 19-year-old suspect ran over a spike strip laid down at Carlson Boulevard and Bayview Avenue by the California Highway Patrol, which had been summoned for help, said El Cerrito police Lt. Paul Keith.

With three flat tires, the suspect's progress slowed and eventually stopped, Keith said.

He then started fleeing on foot, and Koda was unleashed.

"Koda ended up apprehending him as he ran," Keith said. Koda got a hold on the suspect and enabled officers to arrest him, Keith said.

The suspect, a Richmond resident, was not seriously injured, Keith said. He was taken to Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo for medical clearance, a routine procedure for any suspects captured by Koda, and after a short visit was transported to the county jail in Martinez to be booked for investigation for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and evading police, Keith said.

The chase started about 3:10 a.m. at Moeser Lane and Arlington Boulevard where El Cerrito police Officer Joshua Del Prado spotted an occupied stolen Toyota truck that had been reported to Albany police, police said.

Del Prado attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled instead, prompting Del Prado to activate his siren and lights and begin pursuit, according to police.

The suspect wove through city streets, eventually driving around the area bounded by Carlson, Bayview, Protrero Avenue and 55th Street, Keith said.

At one point, he drove into a yard of a Richmond home and broke a water pipe, causing water to spray out, Keith said.

Richmond police also responded to the request for help, in addition to the CHP.

"There were a number of vehicles involved in the pursuit," Keith said.

One El Cerrito resident told Patch that he was woken up by the chase as it was going down Stockton Avenue.

It was at least the fourth apprehension by Koda since he joined the force in March. The first was on June 28, when he collared a burglary suspect hiding behind an air-conditioning unit in a yard. He assisted in a meth bust on Aug. 26, and he and Del Prado arrested a woman on Sept. 1 for alleged possession of a stolen car.

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