A brazen daylight robbery at a ROSS Store in San Mateo ended in a dramatic car chase and crash on Saturday, authorities said. James Bell, 53, of Hayward, is accused of pilfering goods worth over $1000 and using pepper spray against employees before barreling away in a vehicle. San Mateo Police Department reports that the suspect was apprehended following a short pursuit that culminated in a collision with a guard rail.

Bell, seen driving away recklessly from the store's parking lot just after 1:30 p.m., led police on a chase as they responded to the robbery call. According to staff, after a confrontation involving the threat of pepper spray, Bell had made off with the loot and was later spotted merging onto eastbound Highway 92 where the pursuit began. The subsequent arrest was the result of a dramatic turn of events in which, Bell's vehicle struck a guard rail and rolled – an accident in which, fortunately, no other highway users were injured.

All of the stolen merchandise, totaling $1072.51, was recovered following Bell's arrest. Transported to the hospital for injuries sustained from the crash, he was later booked into San Mateo County Jail faced with a litany of charges. These charges include robbery, vehicle code violations, evading police, possession of pepper spray by a felon, and driving on a suspended license, as per the police report.

Details of Bell's arrest spread after San Mateo Police released a summary. Among the charges cited against Bell were "212.5(C) PC – Robbery," "22810(a) PC – Felon in possession of pepper spray," "2800.2 CVC – Evading Police," alongside "4463 CVC – License Plate Fraud," and "14601.1 CVC – Driving on a suspended license," according to the official police statement. Prior records indicate Bell's history with the law, a past that came full circle with the latest episode pointing to a continued disregard for public safety and legal boundaries.