2 men lead police on high-tech chase

Deepa Bharath

Police nabbed two burglary suspects who led officers on a brief

yet wild high-speed chase through city neighborhoods Monday night,

officials said.

Billy Norman Johnson, 57, of Sacramento and Eddie Lee Hammond, 50,

of Hawthorne led helicopter and ground officers on a pursuit through

the streets off Fairview Road near the San Diego Freeway at speeds

sometimes reaching 50 mph, as they threw computers out the window to

distract the officers, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Mike Ginther said.

Helicopter officers first spotted the men after noticing a green

Mitsubishi parked next to a closed business in the 3500 block of

Hyland Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. Monday, he said. The officers then

followed the vehicle and called for ground support as the Mitsubishi

left the scene with its headlights turned off.

Ginther said Johnson and Hammond saw the police helicopter

following them and started “driving erratically through several

neighborhood streets.”

“The officers began shining the helicopter’s light on the

suspect’s car,” he said. “They responded by throwing several

computers out of the car while they were still traveling at more than

50 mph.”

The chase ended when the suspects “became disoriented” and came to

a stop on a cul-de-sac on Gisler Avenue adjacent to the San Diego

Freeway.

Police officers on the ground took the men into custody without

further incident, Ginther said.

Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney said the incident was over in

fewer than 10 minutes. No injuries or traffic collisions were

reported during the pursuit, he said.

“We’re investigating the possibility of these men being involved

in other commercial burglaries that occurred in the Costa Mesa area,”

Birney said.

Both men were arraigned Tuesday and are being held in Orange

County jail. Hammond is being held without bail. Johnson is being

held in lieu of a $10,000 bail. He also has an outstanding $10,000

warrant.