A Las Vegas man is facing felony evading, DUI, and child endangerment charges after leading police on two separate chases through Santa Cruz County with a 3-year-old child in his car, one of which ended when his vehicle stopped on the sand near Hidden Beach County Park, just short of the ocean.
Traffic Stop Turns Into Two Separate Pursuits
According to KSBW, the Capitola Police Department tried to pull over an Acura for a traffic violation on 41st Avenue, but the car sped off instead of stopping. Officers called off that first chase because of safety concerns.
The driver soon began a second chase, and this time California Highway Patrol officers picked up the pursuit after spotting the Acura near the Seascape area south of Capitola, per the station's report. The car was driven recklessly and in the wrong direction at high speeds, the outlet reported, before it ultimately stopped on the beach near Hidden Beach County Park while heading toward the ocean.
Beach Standoff Ends Without Injury
Once the Acura came to a stop on the sand, the man inside refused to exit the car, according to the same account, prompting CHP officers to handle what became a barricade situation. He was eventually taken into custody without anyone being hurt. Per SFGATE, the Acura was later located near Seascape after fleeing a Capitola traffic stop.
Officers who searched the vehicle found a 3-year-old child inside, and the child was taken to a safe location, the station's report notes. The 41-year-old driver, identified as being from Las Vegas, was arrested on felony evading, DUI, and child endangerment charges. The child's 38-year-old mother, also from Las Vegas, was taken into custody on separate charges, though the specific charges against her were not detailed in available reporting.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under California Vehicle Code Section 2800.2, felony reckless evading applies when a driver flees law enforcement with what the law defines as “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property,” according to Cron, Israels & Stark, and carries a potential sentence of up to three years in prison along with fines of up to $10,000. Notably, the firm explains that actual physical injury or property damage does not need to occur for the charge to apply.
Separately, California Penal Code Section 273a classifies child endangerment as a potential felony punishable by up to six years in state prison when someone willfully exposes a child to circumstances likely to produce great bodily harm or death, per Eisner Gorin LLP. If the driver is convicted of DUI, California Vehicle Code Section 23572 provides additional jail time for driving impaired with a passenger under 14, ranging from 48 continuous hours for a first offense up to 90 days for a fourth.
Beyond the criminal case, Child Protective Services may become involved in child-endangerment cases, as discussed by the Shouse Law Group.
Part of a Busy Holiday Enforcement Push
The pursuit unfolded during CHP's statewide Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period, a 78-hour push that began at 6:01 p.m. on September 4 and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Labor Day, with available CHP officers on duty to target impaired driving. During last year's equivalent enforcement period, CHP arrested more than 1,200 drivers for DUI statewide, while nearly 500 DUI-related crashes caused over 270 injuries and eight deaths, according to Pain In The Pass.
This is not the first time a Capitola-area pursuit has ended in dramatic fashion. In May 2025, a driver fleeing Capitola police in a stolen vehicle struck two cars on local streets before officers made an arrest on felony evading charges, according to Lookout Santa Cruz. Other pursuits have also been reported elsewhere.
