Riverside, Ca-  On Tuesday, March 15, 2005 at 8:15 AM Riverside Police Helicopter aircrew located a stolen vehicle signal (LOJACK) in the area of the 91 Freeway and Adams Street. The signal was confirmed to be connected to a reported stolen vehicle from the City of Fontana, CA and was described as white Acura Integra. Officers from the Riverside Police Department located the stolen vehicle in the area of Riverside Avenue and Merrill Avenue and attempted to stop the vehicle. During this time students from Pachappa Elementary School were arriving for school. The driver of the stolen vehicle failed to stop and drove to the area of Sunnyside Drive and Riverside Avenue where the vehicle collided into a concrete light standard. The driver fled from the vehicle on foot and was taken into custody without incident. Two Riverside Police officers sustained ankle injuries: one was transported to the hospital for evaluation and the other was treated and released on scene.

The suspect driver was identified as John Echenique, 20 years of Bloomington, CA. and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment of non-life threatening injuries he sustained from the traffic collision. Mr. Echenique will be charged for driving a stolen vehicle; vehicle hit and run, child endangerment and resisting arrest.