A man wanted in Kern County was taken into custody on Wednesday after he led San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's deputies on a high-speed chase on the beach, before he tried to escape by jumping into the Pacific Ocean.
According to the SLO Sheriff's Office, the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Joshua Anthony Jordan of Bakersfield, entered Highway 101 at Willow Road and began driving southbound on northbound lanes. A little after 2:30 p.m. authorities ended this pursuit for safety reasons.
Jordan was spotted by SLO deputies in unmarked vehicles just before 4 p.m. northbound on Highway 101 in Pismo Beach where they began to follow him.
The Lexus he was driving exited at Avila Beach Drive and proceeded to get back on Highway 101 going south. Before getting on Highway 1, the suspect exited the highway at Price Street and drove through downtown Pismo Beach.
The pursuit was then picked up by Pismo Beach Police, and the suspect entered the Oceano Dunes State Beach at the Grand Avenue Entrance and headed south, where State Park Rangers picked up the pursuit on the beach at approximately 40 miles per hour, according to authorities.
Jordan's white Lexus got stuck in the sand at about 4:15 p.m. where he got out of the car and ran into the ocean. He was taken into custody at gunpoint by State Park Rangers.
A beachgoer Tweeted a video of the pursuit on Wednesday.
Pismo beach high speed chase....on the beach! pic.twitter.com/EatGrLaPmG
— jeremy moore (@jmo34) July 12, 2017
Jordan is wanted in two counties: San Benito County for making felony criminal threats and Kern County on a no bail warrant for a violation of his parole.
After his arrest Jordan was taken to County Jail where he faced new charges. He was charged with felony willful cruelty to a child with possible injury or death because families and children were playing in the sand and had to run for safety to avoid being hit by his car.
Jordan also faces a charge of felony evading a police officer in a reckless manner.
