Placer Sheriff’s Office releases video of chase for wanted sexual assault suspect
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office on Friday released dashboard camera video of a deputy chasing a wanted sexual assault suspect who was arrested Sunday after a short vehicle pursuit in Auburn and a foot-chase into a nearby backyard.
About 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Deputy Glenn Rigel was patrolling the area along Bell Road in Auburn when he spotted William Guzman-Lopez driving a small yellow Toyota pickup, sheriffs officials said in a Facebook post.
A few hours earlier, deputies had been briefed about Guzman-Lopez, 32, who was a wanted suspect for a sexual assault early Sunday, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Angela Massallam. She said the deputies were told to look for Guzman-Lopez, who was driving the yellow Toyota pickup that had been reported stolen and he was believed to be carrying a handgun.
Rigel said he made eye contact with the pickup driver and quickly knew he was the wanted suspect. Sheriff’s officials said the deputy followed the yellow pickup until other deputies and a sheriff’s sergeant could provide back-up.
The dashboard camera video shows the Toyota pickup drive into a cul de sac, slowing down and heading back in the opposite direction. The video also shows Rigel getting out of his patrol vehicle and brandishing his Sheriff’s Office-issued handgun.
Massallam said the deputy was trying to get the suspect to stop, but Guzman-Lopez drove away and initiated a short vehicle chase. That chase continued through two residential neighborhoods.
High-speed chase
The yellow pickup was moving about 50 to 60 mph during the pursuit, before the vehicle chase ended when the suspect drove into another cul de sac on Sierra Shadows Place. Massallam said Guzman-Lopez ran out of the pickup, his flip-flop sandals flying off his feet and he tried to get away.
Rigel and his canine partner, Ruger, got out of their patrol vehicle and ran after the suspect. They caught-up to the suspect in a nearby backyard. Sheriff’s officials said there was a struggle between the deputy and the suspect, and Guzman-Lopez, at one point, grabbed Rigel’s handgun and tried pulling the weapon from the holster.
Guzman-Lopez was subdued and taken into custody. Sheriff’s officials said three deputies, including Rigel, suffered minor injuries during the pursuit, but no further details were released about how they were injured.
“We needed to apprehend him before he could either get into somebody else’s residence and create a hostage situation or, you know, evade capture and continue his crimes at a later time,” Rigel said in a video report of the arrest produced by the Sheriff’s Office.
The deputies found a replica handgun in the stolen pickup’s glove compartment, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Jail records indicate Guzman-Lopez faces felony charges that include committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, resisting arrest and evading police. He was being held at the county jail Friday afternoon, and his bail was set at $7 million.
