Police Chase, Arrest Man Accused of Stealing Taxi in Santa Barbara
Mario Guerrero-Ramirez, 46, Arrested for Allegedly Carjacking and Threatening Taxi Driver with Knife
Santa Barbara Police officers arrested 46-year-old Mario Guerrero-Ramirez for allegedly carjacking a taxicab and leading police on a chase in Santa Barbara early Friday morning.
Officers responded to the area of North La Cumbre Road and Via Lucero at approximately 1:20 a.m on Friday after a report that a carjacking had just occurred. Once on the scene, officers learned that a taxicab driver had been carjacked by a passenger, who was later identified as Guerrero-Ramirez, after he had requested to be driven to the city’s north end. After the taxi arrived at its destination, Ramirez “threatened the driver with a knife and stole the taxi and the driver’s personal belongings,” according to information released by Santa Barbara Police.
Once located in the stolen cab on the 4500 block of Hollister Avenue shortly after the 9-1-1 call was received, Guerrero-Ramirez fled from police in the vehicle, initiating a police chase. The 46-year-old man yielded to police on the southbound 101 freeway near the Sheffield exit, where he was taken into custody without any further incident, according to Public Information Officer Ethan Ragsdale.
The driver of the taxi was not injured during this incident, with the police department noting that the cab and personal belongings were returned.
Guerrero-Ramirez was booked into Santa Barbara County jail for carjacking, vehicle theft, driving on a suspended license, fleeing from officers, and a probation violation. He is currently being held without bail.
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