Suspected felon leads police on ‘fairly high-speed’ chase through SLO County city
Police chased a felony suspect in a car through the streets of Grover Beach on Tuesday afternoon, causing a brief lockdown at a local elementary school.
The Grover Beach Police Department was helping the Santa Rosa Police Department track down a suspected felon from the Northern California city whose vehicle was located in Grover Beach, Officer Jim Munro told The Tribune.
Officers found the suspect’s car and watched him leave a house in southern Grover Beach, Munro said.
Officers pulled him over at Rockaway Avenue and South Seventh Street just before noon, Munro said. At first, the suspect cooperated, but as the officers attempted to give him commands, he drove off at a “fairly high-speed” through city blocks and residential streets.
For about a minute and a half, officers chased the suspect’s car through Grover Beach neighborhoods at around 50 to 60 mph, Munro, who watched the pursuit, estimated.
The suspect popped out of the neighborhoods onto Grand Avenue for about one block before heading toward Grover Beach Elementary School, where the pursuit ended, Munro said.
The surrounding roads were closed, and the school was briefly put on lockdown, which has since been lifted, the Police Department posted on Facebook.
The suspect discarded an item out of the driver side window shortly before pulling over, Munro said.
He said police located the item but declined to share what it was so as not to disrupt Santa Rosa’s investigation. He also could not share details about what crimes the man was suspected of committing in Santa Rosa.
The Santa Rosa Police Department did not have any more information to share at this time.
The suspect is now in custody and was booked into the SLO County Jail, where he is being held until he can be transferred to Santa Rosa, Munro said.
All roads are now open and there is no outstanding threat to the public, the Facebook post said.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 3:32 PM.
