Home NEWS Police/Fire Lafayette Parking Officer’s Discovery Triggers High-Speed Pursuit, Two Arrests

Lafayette Parking Officer’s Discovery Triggers High-Speed Pursuit, Two Arrests

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Photo: Courtesy LPD

Two people from Antioch and Martinez were in custody Wednesday after a Lafayette parking enforcement officer equipped with an automated license plate reader identified a stolen car in the city, calling in another officer who gave chase after the car sped away at speeds estimated at 100 mph.

An LPD spokesman said the incident began at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday when the parking officer got a “hit” on a maroon Lexus on Mt. Diablo Boulevard. The parking officer notified a marked unit of the discovery and the police vehicle fell in behind the Lexus as the driver allegedly took off at speeds in excess of 90mph on eastbound Highway 24, southbound Interstate 680 and then northbound 680. The suspect vehicle stopped on the freeway off-ramp at South Main Street, police said, and a felony stop – guns drawn – was effected.

Witnesses told NEWS24-680 that the female passenger was holding her arms up and out the window as if in surrender during much of the chase. News of the pursuit was first carried on this site’s Facebook page.

Police said both driver and a passenger were both arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

They were identified as:

    • Driver: Rodrick Braz, 36, Martinez
      Arrested for stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, felony evasion, probation violation and outstanding felony warrants.
    • Passenger: Katie Johnson, 32, Antioch
      Arrested for stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, probation violation and outstanding felony warrants.Both are being held on no bail status. The vehicle was confirmed to be stolen from Walnut Creek, according to Lafayette police.

7 COMMENTS

  1. I want to second Tony’s previous motion for bait cars. They are not coming here in their stolen vehicles for the Roam buffalo burgers. Let’s get a reality TV show with a couple of nice bait cars. The City could use the extra revenue, and the bad guys go to jail for a while.

  2. An automated license plate reader? When are these used? Which cars are having their license plates read? These are important questions that the police department should answer so that law abiding residents know whether or not their license plates are being routinely read simply because they are driving around Lafayette. Routinely scanning license plates is very different from the license plate cameras that police have installed around the city of Lafayette. Those cameras are only reviewed after an incident. The police really should clarify how these license plate readers are being used on residents.

  3. They’re already in use in Lafayette and they’re coming to Orinda. they scan plates and return hits when the plate number comes back as stolen. Apparently they work if this story is to be believed.

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