On December 1, 2023, Deputy De Los Santos, a school resource officer, located a stolen vehicle at Buhach Road and Juniper Avenue in the City of Atwater.
Deputy De Los Santos attempted to pull over the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop, resulting in a brief vehicle chase. The driver, identified as Izael Antonio Quintero-Valdez, eventulay stopped and fled on foot.
According to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, additional authorities and Atwater Police were dispatched to locate Quintero-Valdez.
As the authorities searched for the suspect, a school nearby was placed on lockdown as a safety measure.
The suspect was eventualy apprehended after being found hiding in the bed of a pickup truck and taken into custody.
Quintero-Valdez was booked into Merced County Jail for felony evading, receiving stolen property, obstructing, and other warrants.
