On April 30, 32-year-old Antonio Sanchez was reportedly cruising in a silver SUV near the intersection of Benwiley and Fesler in Santa Maria, according to the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD), before being pulled over for speeding. He was later accused of ramming his vehicle into the officer’s patrol car.
As the SMPD officer walked up to the SUV, Sanchez allegedly slammed his vehicle into the patrol car going in reverse, the SMPD Cpl. Louis Tanore said. The SUV was missing plates and was reported stolen, Tanore told the Sun, although the officer didn’t know that at the time.
“The officer didn’t know because there was no plate on the car,” Tanore said.
Sanchez reportedly fled the scene in his SUV and eventually ditched his vehicle before a foot chase ensured, Tanore said, who added that Sanchez was found a few minutes later hiding underneath a car in the 1000 block of North Benwiley.
Police arrested Sanchez on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for ramming the SUV into the patrol vehicle. The SMPD hasn’t released the name of the officer who conducted the stop because the investigation is still ongoing, Tanore said.
Sanchez is the third person since February to be arrested after allegedly attacking Santa Maria police officers.
On Feb. 11, the SMPD arrested 23-year-old Erick Esquivel after he allegedly tried to choke one of the department’s officers with the officer’s own microphone cord. Esquivel was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer.
Then on March 25, 30-year-old Christopher Cota was accused of trying to murder a SMPD officer after the department said Cota tried to pull an officer’s firearm during a struggle. Both men are residents of Santa Maria.
This article appears in May 4-11, 2017.