Early Monday in Citrus Heights, a high-speed pursuit wound through city streets before ending in an open field, with a police drone tracking a fleeing driver across neighborhoods and guiding officers on the ground. The chase involved wrong-way driving, running red lights and attempts to slip away through backyards before the suspect abandoned the vehicle.
How the Drone Tracked the Suspect
According to the Citrus Heights Police Department, a UAS officer launched a drone equipped with thermal imaging after ground units lost sight of the vehicle. The video shows the driver with headlights off, cutting through yards and over fences, while officers adjusted their movements in real time based on the drone’s live feed, until the driver ultimately abandoned the car in an open field. The post identifies the arrestee as Simon Ponce and says he was booked on suspicion of felony evading and DUI and lodged in the county jail.
CHPD's UAS Program and Past Uses
CHPD has run a UAS program since 2018 and told the Citrus Heights Sentinel that operators complete FAA training and that use on private property is limited to exigent situations, probable cause or a warrant. The Atlas of Surveillance lists the department as operating eight drones as of 2023, reflecting a broader expansion of police UAS in the region. Hoodline previously covered a February 2025 high-speed motorcycle chase where a drone and a K9 helped bring a suspect into custody.
Legal and Privacy Questions
Courts across the country have wrestled with when aerial surveillance becomes a search that triggers Fourth Amendment protections. In 2024 the Alaska Supreme Court required a warrant for targeted flights using high-powered optics to observe a home's curtilage, underscoring the legal debate, according to the Alaska Supreme Court. That decision highlights how targeted, enhanced observation can be treated differently from casual overflights, a distinction police departments factor into UAS policies.
What Happened Next
The department's post contains the footage and arrest details and says the suspect was booked into the county jail; it does not provide additional investigative records in the reel. The video shows officers using the drone's thermal feed to coordinate units on the ground and conclude the incident, and the post does not indicate whether anyone was injured.
