Stolen Mustang Outruns Police Cruisers and Copters During a Mad Dash From Supermarket

The Grand Prix it wasn’t, but police were chagrined Sunday after an unidentified man in a stolen 1987 Mustang outraced police cruisers and eluded helicopters during a high-speed chase on two freeways through several cities.

Fountain Valley Police Lt. Mike Hanrahan said the pursuit began after police received a call about a man acting suspiciously and who was seen climbing over a partition near the back office of a Vons supermarket at 16201 Harbor Boulevard.

After driving south on Harbor Boulevard, he turned north on the San Diego Freeway and exited at Beach Boulevard, where police helicopters joined the pursuit.

Police said the man then drove east on the Garden Grove Freeway into Santa Ana, where they lost sight of him near Childrens Hospital of Orange County. The black Mustang, which had no license plates, was recovered later in a shopping center at 2800 N. Main St. in Santa Ana.

There were no injuries during the pursuit, police said.

“At one time we had three lead (police cruisers), and he outran all of us,” Hanrahan said.

Police said the Mustang was originally reported stolen in Garden Grove, but the owner was not identified.