A court hearing was set next week for a man and woman caught with credit and social security cards belonging to several people after a pursuit and carjacking that led to an innocent motorist falling down a cliff, officials said.
Dennis Edward Lam, 28, of Oceanside, faces charges including carjacking, evading, and driving under the influence in the Irvine pursuit. Ana Angelica Molina, 26, of Carlsbad, faces charges including receiving stolen property, carjacking, and conspiracy, the CHP said.
They were arrested Friday after a pursuit in which the suspects crashed into an SUV, then allegedly forced a driver out of a Ford at gunpoint before abandoning the truck and getting arrested, according to a California Highway Patrol news release.
The Ford driver backed away from the truck and fell 40 feet down a cliff, the CHP said. The man's condition was unknown.
The pursuit started when an officer spotted a couple sleeping in a BMW on the shoulder of State Route 133 near Irvine Boulevard, according to a news release. Lam drove off when the officer asked him for his ID, the CHP said.
Lam drove six miles before colliding with a Chevy SUV while getting off the freeway onto Santiago Canyon Road, police said. No one was injured in the crash. Lam stopped the car, approached a driver in a Ford truck and the suspects allegedly forced him out at gunpoint, authorities said.
Molina was caught nearby. Lam was found later, hiding in a parked vehicle.
Police Chases
Video from Southern California's police pursuits and follow-ups on what happened after the chase
Lam was under the influence of drugs, police said. Molina had several ID cards, social security cards and credit cards belonging to other people, along with methamphetamine, the CHP said.
Investigators are looking into whether the stolen IDs and credit cards were used, said Deputy District Attorney Rick Welsh, of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
"Pursuits will often lead to narcotics, fake IDs, stolen property or some other illegal activity," he said. "Obviously there's some reason they run when people get involved in pursuits."
