Crime & Safety

Case of New Year's Day Chase Suspect Yet to Reach Prosecutors

Authorities confirmed that the case agains Matthew Justin Bailey, of Lemon Grove, has yet to be presented to prosecutors for possible charges, authorities said.

The case against a Lemon Grove man accused of leading La Mesa police on a wild pursuit on New Year's Day while driving under the influence has yet to be presented to prosecutors for possible charges, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office said today.

Matthew Justin Bailey, 29, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and felony evading. The pursuit ended with Bailey crashing his car into a utility box and tree, according to La Mesa police.

Bailey bailed out of jail and was tentatively to be arraigned today, Tanya Sierra of the District Attorney's Office said.

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About 9:30 p.m. Jan. 1, Bailey was seen running a stop sign in a Dodge Charger at Waite Drive and Harris Street in La Mesa, police stated.

An officer who saw the violation tried to pull over the driver, but he refused, police said.

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The pursuit went through residential streets in La Mesa at up to 50 mph before going onto westbound state Route 94 at speeds of up to 80 mph.

"During the pursuit, (Bailey) turned off his vehicle's headlamps and attempted to evade officers by running stop signs and red traffic signals," police said.

The suspect exited the highway at College Avenue and turned onto eastbound Central Avenue in Lemon Grove, where he crashed into a utility box and tree in the 7800 block of Central Avenue, police said, adding that an uninjured Bailey was arrested without a struggle.

-- City News Service  


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