Stolen vehicle rams police car in Santa Cruz, leads officers on freeway chase; 6 suspects arrested

Santa Cruz police say a stolen black Mercedes SUV collided with a patrol car during an attempted stop and then led officers and California Highway Patrol units on a freeway chase early this weekend. Officers responded just after 4 p.m. to a reported hit-and-run on Frederick Street in the Seabright neighborhood, with multiple 911 calls describing reckless driving and dangerous behavior. The suspects were located south of Bay Street on Mission Street, where the driver struck an officer’s vehicle and injured an officer. The pursuit was first ended for safety, then restarted after the vehicle headed back toward Santa Cruz on Highway 1. The SUV stopped north of Ocean Street; the driver and another occupant fled into a ravine, where a K-9 unit helped apprehend the driver. Six suspects—two adults, four teens—were arrested, all from San Jose.