What are the chances that an alleged car thief will steal two of the same type of car during a scrambled effort to evade police?
That’s what reportedly happened to 27-year-old Christian Gomez who was arrested Jan. 2 following a high-speed car chase from the Chumash Casino to Orcutt, according to the California Highway Patrol in Buellton.
According to CHP Officer John Ortega, Gomez entered the valet section of the casino at 8:40 p.m. and stole a 2003 silver BMW, smashing into several parked cars on his way out.
Heading eastbound and then westbound on Highway 246, Gomez careened off the road, smashed through a fence, and into a horse corral in the 1400 block of Count Fleet Street.
A property caretaker driving a nearly identical car—a 2015 gray BMW—saw the crash and went to help. As Gomez approached the caretaker, he jumped in the driver’s seat of the car and attempted to drive away.
The caretaker tried to stop Gomez from taking her car and hung on to the driver’s side door as Gomez allegedly dragged her a short distance while driving in reverse until she was struck by a gate entry keypad and stop sign, Ortega said.
According to Ortega, the driver was not seriously injured.
Gomez took off westbound on Armor Ranch Road. A short time later, a CHP unit noticed the gray BMW in Los Olivos and began to pursue the vehicle northbound on Highway 101.
The chase approached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, Ortega told the Sun, and lasted a little less than 15 minutes.
The BMW exited Highway 101 at Santa Maria Way. The chase came to a stop north of Bradley Road near the exit when Gomez pulled over and surrendered.
According to Ortega, Gomez is being accused of grand theft, assault with a deadly weapon, and carjacking.
This article appears in Jan 7-14, 2016.