Wanted suspect jailed after chase leads from Covina to West Covina

Police arrested a wanted man Wednesday after authorities said he led them on a chase from Covina to West Covina that ended in a crash during which he threw a rifle from the car.
Christopher Ventura, 21, of West Covina was booked on suspicion of felony evading, as well as a witness intimidation charge steming from an ongoing West Covina police investigation, Covina police Sgt. Rob Bobkiewicz said.
The incident began about 5:20 p.m. when West Covina police asked that Covina officers check the home of a witness intimidation suspect in the 700 block of North Grand Avenue to see if his car was parked there, Bobkiewicz said.
Covina officers spotted his car and waited about five minutes before Ventura came out and got into it, the sergeant said.
Officers tried to pull over Ventura’s car, Bobkiewicz said, but he continued south on Grand Avenue, initiating a chase.
Police followed as Ventura merged onto the westbound 10 Freeway, he said, weaving in and out of traffic at speeds of up to 90 mph. At one point, Ventura allegedly threw a rifle from his car onto the freeway, which police recovered.
Ventura exited the freeway and headed south on Vincent Avenue before running a red light and crashing into an SUV that was making a U-turn at Vincent Avenue and Lakes Drive, Bobkiewicz said.
West Covina and Covina officers then took Ventura into custody, he added. A handgun was found inside his car.
A man and his mother inside the SUV were not injured in the crash, police said.

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