Lemoore police officers lose suspect in dense dust, but finally catch up and arrest man

It turned out that the guy they were chasing earlier in the evening was walking in the same neighborhood. Police arrested 21-year-old Leslie Lewis, a Santa Rosa Rancheria man, on a charge of evading a police officer.

At approximately 2:40 a.m. a Lemoore police officer heard the sheriff's office being dispatched to Jersey Avenue at Alkali Avenue for a possible DUI driver. The DUI driver was reported to be Lewis, who lives on the Rancheria. Lewis was last seen driving northbound on 17th Avenue from Jersey Avenue in a silver Ford Fusion.

At about 2:50 a.m. the Lemoore officer was at the stop sign on Iona Avenue at S. Lemoore Avenue facing east when he saw a silver Ford Fusion westbound on Iona Avenue at S. Lemoore Avenue. The driver of the Ford stopped at the stop sign for several seconds before driving west on Iona Avenue and past the officer. Once the Ford passed the officer, the driver accelerated rapidly.

The Lemoore officer made a u-turn in order to stop the vehicle, which reached a speed of about 60 mph before the driver turned south onto Vine Street. The officer turned on his emergency lights and siren, but the driver continued southbound on Vine Street, reaching a speed of about 100 mph before braking rapidly and turning eastbound onto a dirt road between two fields. The officer discontinued the pursuit because there was too much dust for him to safely see the suspect and the road in front of him.

At approximately 7:00 a.m. Lemoore police officers responded to the area of S. Lemoore Avenue south of the Lemoore Golf Course for a report that a male was chasing two other males. While investigating that report, the officers found Lewis, who was walking in the 800 block of Champion Street.