CHOWCHILLA - Did you hear sirens Sunday night? If so it’s because the police department was busy. At around 9:30pm officer's attempted to conduct a traffic stop on an early 2000’s Honda Civic in the 1200 block of Riverside Avenue that was displaying paper plates. Honda sedans are one of the most stolen cars in America.
The vehicle then fled from officers leading them in a vehicle pursuit. During the pursuit the vehicle drove onto the grass at Ed Ray Park crashing head on into a tree. But that didn’t stop driver 47 year old Dos Palos resident Gordon McCarty, he then backed up the Honda and continued driving the then partially disabled vehicle south on 15th Street.
McCarty continued to lead officers out Ave 24 ½ eventually driving both rear tires down to the wheels and came to a stop wrecking again into the slough just under the bridge of Highway 99. Again McCarty wasn’t done running, he then exited the vehicle and fled on foot where he was apprehended shortly after. McCarty is on probation out of Madera and Merced County and was booked for felony evading and possession of a stolen vehicle.
After clearing the scene of the stolen vehicle recovery Officers were dispatched to the rail road tracks at Kings Ave and North Chowchilla Boulevard for a report of a vehicle collision. It was reported the vehicle was disabled and on fire on top of the rail road tracks. Upon officers arrival they were notified that the driver fled on foot. The driver was later apprehended on foot close to his Chowchilla residence. Officer arrested 25 year old Chowchilla resident Anthony Torres. Torres was arrested for hit and run and driving under the influence.
Both McCarty and Torres were booked into the Madera County Department of Corrections.
