A 40-year-old man suspected of robbery and eluding law enforcement during a vehicle pursuit has been taken into custody, authorities announced Wednesday.
Vernon Leslie Harris became involved in an altercation with another man around 7 p.m. Tuesday over his driving behavior on Par Drive in an unincorporated area bordering La Mesa, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's officials said that during the exchange, Harris observed the victim photographing his pickup truck with a cellphone, causing him to exit his vehicle and approach the victim, taking his cellphone, and fleeing.
Deputies responded to the area and used tracking information to locate the victim's cellphone in the 400 block of El Cajon Boulevard, where they observed Harris' pickup truck and attempted a traffic stop.
Harris failed to yield, prompting a vehicle pursuit that lasted more than 1 hour and 40 minutes, during which he ran at least one stop sign and red light, swerving across multiple traffic lanes, sheriff's officials said.
The pursuit spanned approximately 50 miles, with speeds reaching up to 60 mph.
"With assistance from allied law enforcement agencies, deputies deployed three tire deflation devices, successfully bringing the pursuit to a peaceful end," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Harris was arrested and booked at the San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of robbery, evading a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer, and committing a felony while out on bail.
Anyone with information about the robbery or pursuit was urged to call the San Diego County Sheriff's Office's Rancho Station at 619-660-7090.
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