California: They chased for 10 miles before deputies and their K9 partner found their man – inside a baby’s room

CALIFORNIA -- A Sanger man ran but could not hide from Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies, or at least from a department dog, ending a scare involving an infant.

A 10-mile chase – which included a helicopter – was resolved safely in Parlier after a dog with the Sheriff’s Office found 44-year-old David Garza inside the room of a sleeping baby.

Garza was booked into the Fresno County Jail on suspicion of evading a peace officer. This carries a bail amount of $90,000.  He also was held on two no-bail felony warrants for possession of stolen property and possession of drugs in jail.

The incident began about 8:30 p.m. Sunday when a deputy arrived at Bethel and American Avenues in Del Rey to check on a disturbance between a man and woman.

The deputy could not find the woman but located Garza, who allegedly took off in a stolen pickup.

The deputy pursued Garza into the city of Parlier and then cancelled the pursuit for safety reasons once the Sheriff’s helicopter, EAGLE One, arrived and began to follow the suspect. Deputies in the helicopter saw Garza drive into a neighborhood at E. Cypress and S. Smyrna Avenues.

Garza then got out of the truck and ran into a nearby home belonging to a person he knows. Garza then fled that house, jumped fences and went inside a neighboring house belonging to people he does not know.

A woman ran out of the house and told deputies and Parlier Police officers, who were searching the neighborhood, that a strange man was in her house and that her two-month-old baby was in her bedroom.

Due to the potential threat to the infant, a Parlier Police officer, two FSO deputies and FSO K9 Tango went into the home to search for Garza.

They opened the door to the baby’s room and saw Garza hiding on the floor next to a bed. Garza got up and began to run toward a door, but a deputy ordered K9 Tango to go after Garza. Tango bit and held onto Garza’s upper arm, which allowed the deputy to handcuff Garza and take him into custody.

Garza was treated for a bite wound before being taken to jail. He is currently under post-release community supervision, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The baby was not injured and actually slept through all of the commotion. The stolen truck was returned to its owner.

Anyone with information on Garza is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 559-600-3111 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.

(Fresno Bee - June 7, 2017)