California Highway Patrol South Lake Tahoe arrested four individuals who they believe may have stole thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes from a casino before entering a pursuit with police.
Just after 11 a.m. on April 27, 2023, an officer was driving and noticed a gray van that was speeding in the opposite direction. After confirming the van was speeding with a radar, the officer turned on her lights to signal to the van to pull over, but it never slowed down.
The police car began to chase the van but it never stopped or slowed down for the officer's lights and sirens. The suspect's van reached a top speed of 102 miles per hour.
At the same time, "Be on the Look Out" was being broadcasted over the radio announcing that Douglas County Sheriffs were looking for a car from a recent theft at the Wa She Shu Casino in Gardnerville, Nevada.
The car being described matched the one that was also being pursued by CHP, so CHP let dispatch know of the situation and more units were requested.
A spike strip was set up and as the suspects continued fleeing from officers, they drove over the spike strip, deflating the front two tires. The van eventually yielded at SR-89 and Blitzen Road where the right front passenger took off on foot.
That person was immediately taken into custody along with the three other occupants. The stolen items were recovered and turned over to the Washoe Tribal Police Department.
This case is still under investigation.
