A violent carjacking turned high-speed chase came to a halt this weekend with the suspect nabbed in Berkeley after a harrowing pursuit through multiple cities, as the Pinole Police Department reported in their latest media release.
The incident kicked off at around 2:15 PM on January 6, when Pinole officers responded to a call of a man down; this man, who was found between two commercial buildings, had been assaulted and dragged by a car thief, whom he had met a few days earlier and who made off with his vehicle. A sequence of violence that began in a Motel 6 parking lot and, after he attempted to thwart the thief, led him to be dragged across Fitzgerald Drive, sustaining injuries. According to the release, the man received immediate treatment from AMR paramedics.
Deputies from Contra Costa Sheriff's Office spotted the stolen vehicle at about 3:10 PM the same day, triggering a chase that snaked through Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, and into Berkeley, with the suspect, "Franklin Gyurnek, a 34-year-old male out of Tennessee," showing a complete disregard for traffic rules, running several red lights and at times even driving on the wrong side of the road.
The breakthrough came when Gyurnek, donning a brown Carhartt jacket and boots matching the description given by the victim, finally yielded to the chasing officers near the intersection of University Avenue and San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, which thankfully did not result in any accidents or further injuries; this swift closure to a potential public safety nightmare was due to the collaborative effort of multiple agencies including the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, the San Pablo Police Department, and the Berkeley Police Department, the suspect was charged with carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon, and felony evading, the authorities announced.
Pinole PD lauded the swift inter-agency cooperation and asked anyone with more information on the carjacking to contact Officer Esparza by calling 510-724-1111. More details about this incident can be found on the Pinole Police Department X page.
Carjacking arrest on Saturday, 1/6. Thank you @CoCoSheriff, @SanPabloPolice , and @berkeleypolice for the assistance. pic.twitter.com/vua7WvRzxh
— Pinole PD (@PinolePD) January 9, 2024
