A sheriff’s sergeant was injured early Tuesday morning when his patrol vehicle was deliberately rammed, causing it to flip onto its side, trapping the sergeant inside the vehicle. The sergeant was driving across the Santa Clara River bridge in Saticoy, when the suspect vehicle, driven by Frankie Avalos, sped up from behind and rammed into the back of the marked black-and-white patrol vehicle.
The sergeant increased his speed and changed lanes, thinking the driver of the white sport utility vehicle had fallen asleep at the wheel or was driving under the influence. Frankie Avalos accelerated once again and rammed the patrol vehicle a second time, causing it to spin out of control and flip onto its side.
Avalos continued driving across the bridge, fleeing the scene. The sergeant, a 37-year veteran of VCSO, calmly broadcast his location and a detailed description of Avalos’ vehicle, despite being pinned inside his patrol vehicle. Deputies saw Avalos’ vehicle in Santa Paula and tried to stop him. Avalos led deputies on a high-speed pursuit that eventually ended at the intersection of Harvard and Beckwith in Santa Paula. Avalos ran from the vehicle, but was quickly tackled by pursuing deputies and arrested.
Avalos was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility for attempted murder, evading, hit & run, driving under the influence of drugs, and assault with a deadly weapon. Avalos’ bail is $1,005,000.00. Avalos’ bail was automatically doubled, because he has other criminal cases pending before the court and has an extensive history of arrests.
Rescue personnel pulled the sergeant from the wreckage, and he was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.
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