SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Multiple teens were taken into custody early Monday morning after police said they led officers on a pursuit that spanned several North County cities and then ended in a crash through the front gate to Camp Pendleton.
Escondido Police told ABC 10News that officers were responding to a report of a Hyundai Sonata that was stolen Sunday when they spotted the vehicle at El Norte Parkway and Iris Lane in Escondido just after 12 a.m.
When officers tried to pull the driver over, the car sped away, prompting a chase.
Police said the car went onto state Route 78 and Interstate 5, passing through San Marcos, Carlsbad, Vista, and Oceanside with officers in pursuit.
After the car exited on Vandegrift Boulevard, it proceeded towards the Camp Pendleton main gate, crashed through concrete barriers, and stopped.
According to Escondido Police, the six occupants in the car — between the ages of 15 and 17 — were arrested; the teen driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, driving the vehicle without the owner’s consent, fleeing from police, and violating curfew.
The other teens were arrested for other unspecified crimes, police said.
All of the teens sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment. They were released to their parents at around 4 a.m., police said.
Police told ABC 10News there were empty bottles of alcohol in the car, but it was unknown if the teens were drinking.
ABC 10News learned the California Highway Patrol, Oceanside Fire Department, and Camp Pendleton base police assisted Escondido Police with the response.
