UPDATE (3:40 p.m.) – Police say a suspect has been taken into custody in connection with Tuesday’s incident.
The police department says officers were dispatched to the area of Chalk Mountain Liquor around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday to look into reports of a suspicious person.
A man had been seen removing the front license plate on a pickup truck and partially removing the rear plate.
A bystander was able to provide license plate information to officers, who determined the vehicle had been stolen from Buellton.
Officers later located the vehicle on El Camino Real at Highway 41 and tried to stop the driver, but officers say the driver led them on a short chase.
The driver traveled on Lewis Avenue, near Atascadero Middle School, and eventually crashed into a tree.
The suspect then ran away and into a creek bed near the Lewis Bridge.
Officers established a perimeter and additional resources were brought in from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and CHP.
A K-9 located the suspect in the creek bed.
He was taken into custody without incident, but police say he is refusing to identify himself.
UPDATE (3:20 p.m.) – The Atascadero Unified School District says the shelter-in-place order was lifted at all schools and students were dismissed at their regular time.
(2:05 p.m.) – Atascadero police pursued a stolen vehicle Tuesday afternoon.
The police department posted on Facebook just before 2 p.m. Tuesday saying there was police activity in the downtown area.
Officers reportedly followed a stolen vehicle, and then a foot chase began in the creek behind the former City Hall.
A CHP helicopter was brought in to assist with the investigation.
Some schools in the area were asked to shelter in place.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
