Orange County prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a parolee accused of leading law enforcement on a wild chase last week across Southern California that allegedly included the driver ramming into police cruisers and other vehicles before the hour-long pursuit ended in flames and gunshots.
Johnny Anchondo, 33, of Moreno Valley is facing nearly 30 felony and misdemeanor counts, including carjacking, assault with deadly weapon on a peace officer, evading and resisting officers, vandalism, hit and run, first-degree burglary and theft.
Anchondo already was on parole for attempted carjacking and evading police, prosecutors said; if convicted of the new charges, he faces up to 54 years in prison. He is currently being held in Los Angeles County, but Orange County prosecutors say they can file charges for alleged crimes that span both counties since it was part of a spree that began in Orange County.
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Fullerton officers attempted to pull Anchondo over around 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 9 for unspecified vehicle violations. Anchondo allegedly responded by pulling into a condo complex, ditching his vehicle and running away on foot.
Prosecutors allege Anchondo then stole a van and repeatedly reversed it into a Fullerton police vehicle when officers attempted to block him in. A high-speed chase ensued, and prosecutors allege that Anchondo drove at nearly 100 miles per hour over the county line before ditching the van in Whittier.
Anchondo ran into a Whittier residence, prosecutors allege, and used a pair of scissors to threaten a homeowner while stealing a set of truck keys. Prosecutors say the truck owner tried to close a metal gate to stop Anchondo from leaving, but Anchondo drove the truck through the gate and escaped.
For the next 40 minutes, prosecutors allege, Anchondo drove the stolen truck through Los Angeles County, hitting multiple civilian vehicles, nearly colliding with several Los Angeles County Sheriff’s vehicles that were trying to block him in a cul-de-sac.
Two sheriff’s vehicles rammed the stolen truck, at which point prosecutors allege that Anchondo reversed into the sheriff’s vehicles.
Officers fired several shots at the stolen truck, but Anchondo was not hit. Live video of the pursuit by broadcast stations showed smoke and flames erupting from the stolen truck that were quickly doused by deputies with a fire extinguisher. Another deputy was shown smashing the driver’s window to the truck and pulling the driver out.
Prosecutors said that during the pursuit Anchondo assaulted eight law enforcement officers.
“The victims in this case can rest assured that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will do everything in its power to hold this dangerous individual accountable for the dozens of crimes he committed across two different counties,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a prepared statement. “It is only by the grace of God that an innocent person wasn’t seriously injured or killed by someone who was hell bent on doing whatever he could to try to escape, including stealing multiple vehicles and assaulting numerous law enforcement officers.”