Suspect Rescued From Freeway Ledge
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SANTA ANA — A 21-year-old man fleeing police jumped over a freeway guardrail early Sunday morning and then clung to a ledge above a 100-foot drop while officers pulled him to safety.
California Highway Patrol and Santa Ana police officers were pursuing a suspect in a stolen car southbound on the Costa Mesa Freeway about 2:30 a.m. At the point where the freeway merges with the southbound San Diego Freeway, the car crashed into a guardrail and the driver, Erik Aquino of Santa Ana, jumped over it, Police Sgt. Bob Ensley said.
Aquino apparently did not realize that the rail was 100 feet above ground, Ensley said.
Aquino somehow managed to grab onto a four-inch concrete ledge about three feet down. Santa Ana Police Sgt. Dan Beaumarchais hung over the railing, his legs held by CHP officers Al Montoya and Barry Batsford, and pulled Aquino back up.
Ensley said Aquino clung to the ledge for several minutes before officers were able to rescue him. He was uninjured.
“He was quite lucky to get out of that alive,” Ensley said.
Aquino was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle. His three passengers were detained for questioning.
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