Colma had its share of action on September 12, as a man with hefty warrants totaling $600,000 was apprehended after a chase. At about 6:26 p.m., local authorities were alerted by a Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) to a vehicle associated with a recent theft at the Metro Mall Shopping Center entering their beat, according to the Colma Police Department.
Following the tip, officers caught up with the vehicle, prompting a stop in the parking lot of a business on the 1200 block of El Camino Real. The male occupants of the car were identified. The passenger was specifically pegged as the suspect from the theft the day before. The records check revealed that he was wanted on a $500,000 felony warrant and an additional $100,000 misdemeanor warrant from neighboring jurisdictions. Once realizing his situation, the suspect impulsively fled on foot, sprinting northbound across Serramonte Boulevard before plunging into Colma Creek, continuing his desperate escape attempt northbound.
Collaboration was key in this pursuit as officers from the Colma Police Department quickly gained assistance from the South San Francisco Police Department, Daly City Police Department, and the Broadmoor Police Department. A perimeter was established to corner the fleeing suspect. Persistence paid off when officers from the South San Francisco Police Department discovered the suspect trying to stay low within a cemetery on the 1100 block of El Camino Real.
The suspect, identified as Derek McDonald, a 39-year-old San Francisco resident, attempted once more to evade capture. However, his freedom was short-lived, as he was detained after a brief foot chase. McDonald has since been charged with resisting and obstructing a police officer while facing his existing felony and misdemeanor warrants. He now resides within the confines of the San Mateo County Jail.
