Huntington Beach police chase over stolen leaf blower leads to school lockdowns
Police chased two men through Huntington Beach on Friday, after one allegedly stole a leaf blower.
Dwyer and Smith Elementary Schools were locked down after the suspects ditched the car.
Officers arrested Clayton Lohman of Florida and Kurstin Pulliam of Texas.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - A high-speed police chase in Huntington Beach on Friday morning led to the brief lockdown of two local elementary schools — all over a stolen leaf blower.
What we know
Huntington Beach Police officers were called out to the area of Yorktown Avenue and Goldenwest Street just before 9 a.m. Friday, after a gardner reported that someone had stolen the leaf blower from out of his truck.
When the officers got there, the alleged thieves were already gone, but based off the description they got, they were able to track down the car. When they tried to pull the car over, the driver sped off and officers chased them.
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The driver headed toward downtown, and officers called off the chase because of what they called "the suspect's erratic driving."
HBPD officers eventually found the car abandoned, and officers said witnesses helped point them in the direction of the two suspects. While the HBPD searched the area, Dwyer and Smith Elementary schools were briefly placed on lockdown.
Soon after, officers arrested Clayton Lohman of Florida and Kurstin Pulliam of Texas.
Dig deeper
HBPD said that Lohman is a convicted felon with "a history of leaf blower thefts," and an active warrant for drug possession in Texas. They also said that Lohman had a gun on him when he was arrested.
The Source
Information in this story is from a Huntington Beach Police Department press release.
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