SAN DIEGO - A man accused of having his infant child riding unrestrained in his carwhile leading authorities on a high-speed freeway chase that ended with a crash on a City Heights off-ramp pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple charges.
Jesus Mendoza, 23, plead guilty in San Diego County Superior Court to counts of evading police and simple child abuse. He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of domestic violence. He will likely be sentenced to one year in jail. He must also take anger management and domestic violence classes.
Late on the night of May 1, a California Highway Patrol officer noticed Mendoza drag racing at speeds of 96 miles per hour on northbound Interstate 15 near Mount Hope.
Mendoza allegedly slowed down and pulled over onto the right-hand shoulder of the freeway near Market Street, then hit the gas again and sped off.
Mendoza fled to the north for several miles before exiting onto University Avenue, where his white Honda Civic -- with its lights off -- plowed into a Toyota Corolla at the end of the connector ramp, Seidu said.
At the crash site, officers discovered Mendoza's 6-month-old child in an unsecured car seat that had flipped over, according to the prosecutor. The baby was not seriously injured.
After his arrest in May, Mendoza posted bail and was released from custody. He was subsequently arrested on an unrelated kidnapping charge.
