Suspected Car Thief Surrenders After Police Pursuit

SAN DIEGO -- A suspected car thief clad in black and allegedly under the influence of drugs led police on a 50-minute televised chase on local freeways and surface streets Monday before surrendering in the South Park area.

OnStar notified police at 10:40 a.m. that a signal had been received from a stolen 2003 Cadillac in the 3200 block of Gregory Street in North Park, according to San Diego Police Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz.

Officers tried to pull over the car, but the driver, later identified as 18-year-old Michael Bernal, sped off and entered eastbound State Route 94, Munoz said.

Bernal exited the freeway in the La Mesa-Spring Valley area and drove around on surface streets for a time before heading westbound on State Route 94, then northbound on Interstate 805, Munoz said.

The driver left the freeway at El Cajon Boulevard in North Park and continued on surface streets, at times going the wrong way, authorities said.

San Diego police put down a spike strip in an attempt to stop the car in the North Park area, but the driver kept going, despite three flat tires, Munoz said.

He surrendered after rear-ending a parked car in the 2400 block of 32nd Street in the South Park neighborhood about 11:30 a.m., Munoz said.

Bernal, who wore a black t-shirt, shorts and baseball cap with flip-flops, got out of the car and obeyed the officers' order to lie face-down with his hands behind his back.

No one was injured, Munoz said.

Bernal was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of auto theft, felony evading and being under the influence of a controlled substance, Munoz said.

The SDPD helicopter ABLE, canine units and California Highway Patrol officers participated in the pursuit, Munoz said.