BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Man arrested after...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Man arrested after chase, crash, chase

A 24-year-old Garden Grove man was arrested early Thursday morning

after police were led on a short pursuit that ended when the driver

crashed into the wall of a Ferrari dealership, police said.

Officers took custody of Paul Gordon Benjamin and booked him on

suspicion of stealing a vehicle, evading police, possession of stolen

property, resisting arrest and possession of marijuana, Costa Mesa

Lt. Dale Birney said. Benjamin was being held in Costa Mesa jail on

$25,000 bail.

Patrolling officers responded to a call about two suspicious

people at a 7-Eleven market, in which the caller reported license

plate numbers. Police ran the plates and found that one of the cars

had been reported stolen, so they began to investigate, Birney said.

One officer saw a Lexus in an alley that runs parallel to Baker

Street, along the 1300 block, and tried to stop the driver, who was

later identified as Benjamin, Birney said. The driver took off,

heading west along the alley, toward College Avenue, Birney said. He

lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the wall of the Ferrari

dealership on the corner of College Avenue and Baker Street, Birney

said.

“Maybe he was trying to trade up,” Birney said.

The driver then took off on foot, and officers caught him. In

addition to the laundry list of charges Benjamin had allegedly

racked-up during the mini-chase, officers arrested him for carrying

some marijuana, Birney said.