Antioch residents experienced a startling interruption to their typical morning routine yesterday as a high-speed incident concluded with a vehicle crashing into a home. According to a press release from the Antioch Police Department, local officers on proactive patrol duty noted an Infiniti committing several vehicle code violations around E 18th Street and Cavallo Road shortly after 9 a.m. Initiation of a traffic stop prompted the driver, identified as 40-year-old Terrance Benjamin, to flee south on Cavallo Road.
Despite the sudden chase, police opted not to pursue it due to concerns for public safety. They reported that Benjamin's Infiniti collided with an occupied house after losing control at the intersection of Garrow Drive and E. Tregallas Road. After he fled the scene on foot, an extensive search operation unfolded. Featuring the joint efforts of the APD Drone Team, CHP Air Support, and an Oakley Police K-9 unit, Benjamin was eventually apprehended hiding in a nearby yard.
No injuries were reported from the residents of the damaged home. Various agencies, including CONFIRE, Antioch Code Enforcement, and the Antioch Public Works Department, were on the scene to assess and secure the locale's structural stability. Benjamin was subsequently transported to a hospital, treated for his injuries, and later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF) on multiple charges, including reckless evading a police officer and possession of a loaded firearm in public.
Additional charges awaiting Benjamin encompass felon in possession of a firearm, concealed carry of a firearm in a vehicle, prohibited person in possession of ammunition, and hit and run.
