Update: SLO County sheriff identifies driver in Five Cities vehicle pursuit, crash
Update, 4 p.m.:
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office identified a San Luis Obispo man involved in a San Luis Obispo County pursuit that ended in his arrest Thursday.
Abraham Robert Finnhowell, 36, was arrested by the Grover Beach Police Department and turned over to the custody of the California Highway Patrol following a pursuit from San Luis Obispo to Grover Beach.
According to Sheriff’s Office public information officer Tony Cipolla, deputies saw a suspicious vehicle at the Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo around 7:50 a.m. Thursday.
When deputies approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Finnhowell, took off and a pursuit began on southbound Highway 101, Cipolla wrote in an email to The Tribune.
During the chase, another vehicle struck the suspect’s car and resulted in minor damage, Cipolla wrote. Finnhowell, continued driving. He parked the vehicle and fled on foot in the west Arroyo Grande area.
By 8 a.m., deputies halted the pursuit, Cipolla wrote.
Shortly after, Arroyo Grande Police Department officers reportedly found the vehicle Finnhowell was driving in Arroyo Grande.
According to Cipolla, the car was a stolen vehicle.
Finnhowell was located by the Grover Beach Police Department at the CVS on Grand Avenue, Cipolla wrote.
Finnhowell was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail at around 11:40 a.m. and is being held in lieu of $50,00, according to booking logs.
Finnhowell was arrested on suspicion of seven charges — attempt to evade a peace officer in a reckless manner, resisting a public officer, driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving a car without consent, possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia and receiving known stolen property.
Finnhowell may be connected to other burglaries in the area, Cipolla wrote.
Original story:
A multi-agency vehicle pursuit ended in an arrest following a crash, the Grover Beach Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Police engaged in a vehicle pursuit of a reportedly stolen car Thursday morning, Grover Beach police said.
According to the agency, the car chase began outside of the Five Cities area and continued through Grover Beach onto Oak Park Boulevard.
During the chase, the driver caused a non-injury collision at the intersection of Oak Park Boulevard and Newport Avenue, police said.
It was unclear how many vehicles and people were involved in the non-injury collision.
The driver then parked in west Arroyo Grande and fled the scene on foot.
Grover Beach police reportedly located the driver at a CVS store on Grand Avenue. The driver was then turned over to the custody of the California Highway Patrol, according to the post.
The name of the driver has not been released.
San Luis Obispo County Jail booking logs did not show any bookings from the CHP or Grover Beach Police Department as of 11:30 a.m.
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
