Two Oceanside police cars and
a helicopter pursued a known male parolee driving a red Nissan Xterra and a female passenger across the Arrowood Golf Course on Thursday evening, halting an Avocado League match between the Carlsbad Lancers and the El Camino Wildcats at about 5 p.m.
Arrowood General Manager Eric Jeska, who witnessed the events, said, “He busted through the back gate of the club and crossed over the 10th hole next to the pro shop. He then cut across the first tee box, then over the ninth green and down the fairway.”
From the third tee box, Carlsbad assistant coach Howard Sonkin also witnessed the events unfold with El Camino coach Clayton Huggins and El Camino assistant principal Bob Nelson.
“The coaches were playing behind the final grouping and then there were sirens all around,” said Sonkin. “Then we saw the truck on the course with two Oceanside police cars—lights and sirens going—in pursuit.”
The chase began at about 4:30 p.m. and spilled onto the course at approximately 5 p.m. According to Howard, course marshals, teaching pros and staff rounded up the boys and other people on the links less than five minutes after the truck careened onto the property. The teams evacuated to the safety of the Arrowood clubhouse, where they waited for police to apprehend the suspects.
“The response was exemplary,” said Sonkin. “The police must have called the course because they [Arrowood staff] got everyone in quickly.”
Turns out Arrowood was not notified by the Oceanside police and instead reacted on their own accord after seeing the fleeing truck drive past the pro shop.
“We took the golfers off the course,” said Jeska. “They were in danger. Fortunately, no one got hurt.”
The suspects exited the course and proceeded towards a new development where they crashed into a wall near an elementary school. The suspects fled on foot and were apprehended a short time later by police and a K-9 unit. Police discovered various electronics and purses in the vehicle, believed to have been stolen from a single home earlier.
Carlsbad and El Camino returned to the course about 45 minutes after the incident began and resumed play around 5:45 p.m. The teams, who were mired between the fourth and sixth holes, concluded the match at about 7 p.m., with Carlsbad upsetting El Camino, 201-203.
The kids probably won’t remember their scores,” said Sonkin. “But I doubt they’ll ever forget that round.”
-John Connelly
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