SAN LEANDRO — A suspected wheel thief had the skids put to him Friday morning, but an accomplice escaped and is being sought, authorities said.
Police did recover eight tires and wheels, worth several hundred dollars each, inside a stolen Mercedes SUV the suspects were driving.
The case rolled out about 5:30 a.m. Friday when police were dispatched to an attempted wheel theft from a newer Honda in the 2100 block of Benedict Drive, which parallels Interstate 580.
When officers arrived, the wheel had not been removed and the suspect fled to the waiting SUV, which drove off, colliding with a parked car and narrowly missing an officer who had to jump out of the way, police said in a news release.
Police chased the SUV south on Benedict Drive until it crashed into the hillside near Kindred Hospital in the 2800 block of Benedict. One suspect was arrested there, and the other fled up a hill into unincorporated San Leandro. The name of the arrested suspect was not released.
A perimeter was set up with the assistance of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, which provided drones, and the California Highway Patrol. A police dog eventually tracked down the suspect’s footprints that indicated he made it out of the perimeter.
The 2016 Mercedes turned out to have been stolen in San Francisco in October but was displaying paper dealer plates, police said. The vehicle was seen at two previous wheel thefts in San Leandro over the past few months. The eight additional tires and wheels were inside the SUV, suggesting there were two additional victim vehicles not yet identified.
Lt. Ron Clark said, “This could have ended with tragic results had the officer not been able to move out of the way of the fleeing suspect vehicle. More and more frequently, we are seeing suspects that have a wanton disregard for public safety as they focus on getting away from the police.”
Police are requesting a phone call from anyone having their tires and rims stolen Thursday night or Friday morning. Detective Vincent is handling the case and he can be reached at jvincent@sanleandro.org or 510-577-3234.