Police: Teen arrested after attempted theft, wild pursuit through downtown Santa Rosa

A Nevada 19-year-old was arrested last week after leading officers on a chase through downtown Santa Rosa that ended with his vehicle flipping on a Highway 101 offramp, police said.

The Santa Rosa Police Department began pursuing a white 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML55 about 3:20 p.m. Friday after mall security reported three people who had stolen merchandise from Santa Rosa Plaza had left in the vehicle, Sgt. Travis Dunn said.

Security said they saw three men wearing black face masks walk into Victoria’s Secret, filled up bags with items and then ran out. They also reportedly stole merchandise from Zumiez.

Santa Rosa police officers tried to pull over the Mercedes, which continued driving south to downtown Santa Rosa.

The Mercedes led police down Art Alley, around Julliard Park, up Santa Rosa Avenue and around the city of Santa Rosa building. The driver turned west onto Third Avenue and crashed into a vehicle in the parking lot of Chevys Fresh Mex in Railroad Square, Dunn said.

The officer lost the vehicle as they checked to see if anyone was injured in the collision.

No injuries were reported.

Another officer saw the Mercedes pulling onto northbound Highway 101 off Morgan Street and began following the sedan. The man attempted to exit the highway using the offramp near Bicentennial Way but drove too fast and the Mercedes overturned onto a grassy area next to the exit.

The driver got out of the vehicle wearing a backpack and attempted to run from the officer. He threw the bag before an officer tackled him to the ground, Dunn said.

Officers retrieved the man’s bag, which matched multiple other designer handbags later found in the overturned Mercedes. Investigators also found replica handguns in the vehicle.

Andolis Lartigue, of Reno, Nevada, was detained and taken to a hospital for moderate injuries to his chest. He was later booked into the Sonoma County jail on suspicion of felony evading police, a hit and run with property damage, conspiracy to commit a crime and resisting arrest.

Lartigue is being held in lieu of $20,000 bail.

The other two suspects and bags of stolen merchandise from the mall have not been located, Dunn said.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @madi.smals.