Car chase suspect dressed in bin bag became wedged between buildings

A man suspected of leading the California Highway Patrol on a high-speed chase and fleeing the scene of a crash in San Jose early on Thursday morning became wedged between two buildings and had to be extricated by firefighters. The man, who was wearing only a trash bag after ditching his clothes at the scene of the collision, became wedged in an 18-inch space between two stores. At about 2 a.m. San Jose police called firefighters to the Orchard Supply Hardware to extricate the man. The urban search and rescue team used ropes and ladders to hoist the man back to the roof. The rescue took about 90 minutes.

The man called 911 and said he became stuck after being chased by two men armed with knives, according to San Jose police Lt. Mike Sullivan. But police say the man had been involved in a high-speed pursuit with the CHP, a chase that officers called off once the suspect hit city streets. Police say the suspect, identified as Arturo Corona, 32, led CHP officers on a high-speed pursuit on Highway 101 sometime around 10 p.m. and exited the freeway. Once on city streets, the CHP called off the pursuit and law enforcement officials circulated the area in search of the vehicle, a Honda Civic.



Officers located the Honda after it became involved in a collision at Aborn and King roads, Sullivan said. One person suffered non life-threatening injuries in the collision and was taken to a hospital. The driver took off on foot. "He was most likely involved in the pursuit with the CHP," Sullivan said. "We feel very strongly he was involved in the pursuit." About three hours later police received the 911 call from Corona, saying he became wedged between the two buildings while being chased by two men armed with knives. He told dispatchers he was stuck between two sound walls. Police believe he fell or dropped about 20 feet from the roof of the Orchard Supply.

Before calling police, the man called his girlfriend and asked her to come help him out, Sullivan said. Corona asked his girlfriend to bring a change of clothes. The girlfriend came to the area where Corona was trapped but couldn't find him in the darkness. She left the change of clothes at the scene and took off, Sullivan said. Police believe Corona was trying to change clothes in an effort to avoid being arrested. He was wearing only a trash bag at the time he was rescued, according to police. Police say Corona is the listed owner of the Honda involved in the hit-and-run collision. The car involved in the collision matches the vehicle description of the car involved in the CHP pursuit, Sullivan said. Corona will be arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run and driving on a suspended license, Sullivan said.

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