A 36-year-old Pacoima man remains in custody on $125,000 bail after authorities say he violated a domestic violence restraining order at his ex-wife's Apple Valley home, then led sheriff's deputies on a chase that started in a pickup truck and continued on a dirt bike pulled from its truck bed. Authorities arrested David Shell on suspicion of felony evading, violating a restraining order, and making criminal threats following the incident; VVNG does not establish that formal charges had been filed.
According to VVNG, the episode began with an initial report and response in the 14200 block of Osage Road. Deputies later conducted a traffic stop near Pawnee and Fox avenues after spotting a gray Dodge Ram. San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Gloria Orejel said Shell briefly yielded during the stop before fleeing at a high rate of speed, causing deputies to temporarily lose sight of him.
Truck Ditched, Dirt Bike Deployed
Deputies later spotted Shell again near Tao and Kamana roads. The truck, notably, had been carrying a dirt bike in its bed, and per the sheriff's department, Shell later rode off on the bike in an attempt to continue evading capture. He allegedly drove recklessly throughout the pursuit before deputies finally caught up with him in the 21000 block of Rancherias Road, where he was taken into custody.
Before the chase began, investigators say Shell had gone to his ex-wife's home in Apple Valley and broken a window, an act authorities allege violated an existing domestic violence restraining order against him. That combination of an alleged restraining-order breach and property damage is what first drew deputies to the area before the pursuit unfolded.
What the Charges Could Mean
Felony evading under California Vehicle Code Section 2800.2 applies to drivers who flee a pursuing officer with what the law calls willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, a standard that can be met by committing three or more traffic violations during a chase, according to the Shouse Law Group. The charge is a wobbler that can carry up to three years in state prison. Separately, violating a domestic violence protective order under Penal Code Section 273.6 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, per the Kraut Law Group, though prosecutors must show the suspect had notice of the valid order and willfully violated it.
The criminal threats allegation against Shell falls under Penal Code Section 422, which covers willfully making a threat that places someone in reasonable, sustained fear of death or great bodily injury. As explained by Power Trial Lawyers, a felony conviction on that charge carries up to four years in prison and also counts as a strike under California's Three Strikes law.
Why Bail Sits at $125,000
In specified domestic violence cases, including certain protective-order violations, suspects generally cannot have bail set above or below the scheduled amount or be released on their own recognizance without a formal hearing held in open court, under Penal Code Section 1270.1, according to My Rights Law. However, Penal Code Section 1269c allows an officer to seek an above-schedule bail amount without a hearing in a specified circumstance. That requirement exists so prosecutors and victims can raise safety concerns before any bail conditions change. In San Bernardino County, base bail for felony domestic violence charges typically runs between $50,000 and $75,000, and judges calculate combined totals like Shell's $125,000 hold by adding scheduled amounts across the separate alleged criminal acts.
The Town of Apple Valley contracts its policing to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The Apple Valley Station consists of 51 officers and 13 general employees, according to Greg Hill & Associates. The High Desert Detention Center is among the facilities referenced in inmate-location information. According to the Town of Apple Valley, the town contracts with the County of San Bernardino Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services and encompasses approximately 72 square miles.
An Unresolved Question About the Dirt Bike
It remains unclear whether the dirt bike Shell allegedly rode to evade deputies was street-legal. Available information about off-highway motorcycles discusses safe operation and designated riding areas. The Sheriff's Department also runs specialized desert enforcement efforts such as Operation Dust Devil and has an Off-Highway Vehicle Team.
The article identifies Shell as a Pacoima man and does not detail his route to Saturday's incident in Apple Valley. The precise history of any prior court orders served on Shell, along with the formal charges the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office may file at arraignment, has not been detailed publicly.
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