After leading police on an hourslong chase across two Southern California counties in a stolen big rig, a 48-year-old Victorville, Calif., man surrendered peacefully and was arrested by authorities Tuesday afternoon, KTLA reports.
James Edgley allegedly stole the big rig from the parking lot of a hotel in Barstow, where the driver reported it missing at 6 a.m. Edgley was first spotted by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies at 10:30 a.m. The deputies attempted to stop the truck but the driver refused, and the subsequent chase was carried live on KTLA for three hours.
The truck and its trailer are owned by ACT Enviro, a Sunnyvale, Calif., company that disposes of hazardous waste.
The Los Angeles Times originally reported that the truck was carrying hazardous materials, but Walter Singer, president of ACT Enviro, said the stolen trailer carried material that does not meet the definition of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Singer added that the material was essentially worthless and not flammable, explosive, acidic, biologic or radioactive.
Authorities reportedly spoke with Edgley as he was driving the truck, and he said that he "didn't want to go back to jail."
Edgley had successfully disabled the primary GPS tracking device in the truck but failed to disable a second, which enabled authorities to track the vehicle down after it was reported stolen. The suspect drove the truck across two interstates and two highways, traveling through both San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
After refusing to stop for authorities for three hours, Edgley finally pulled over at the Whitewater rest stop off Interstate 10 near Palm Springs. Edgley then exited the truck with his hands over his head and knelt on the ground before being handcuffed and arrested.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Edgley was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle and felony evading.
In a statement on its website, ACT Enviro said the following:
Mercifully and thankfully, the pursuit came to a peaceful conclusion just before 1:45 pm Pacific Time.We commend the professionalism of the California Highway Patrol in bringing this to a peaceful resolution and extend them our sincerest thanks.
Read more at KTLA and the Los Angeles Times.