Tesla Thief Led Police on Pursuit; Caught After Battery Died

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A suspect car thief was arrested after the Tesla he stole ran out of charge during a pursuit on Sunday.

At around 7:45 p.m., the owner of a Tesla called 911 to report that his vehicle had just been stolen from a parking garage in the 1400 block of Everton Place, in the Eastside neighborhood of Riverside. The owner of the vehicle was able to track the stolen vehicle from his phone and update dispatchers with the location of the vehicle. A responding officer found the vehicle exiting the 91 freeway to Adams Street.

Officers attempted to stop the Tesla but the driver failed to pull over leading to a pursuit through city streets. The suspect got back onto the 91 freeway and exited on Magnolia Avenue. Officers followed as he traveled up La Sierra Avenue to Cajalco Road and onto the 15 freeway. Police stopped the pursuit because of the suspect’s dangerous driving and high speeds. The police air unit continued to follow the suspect to the 91 freeway towards Orange County. The owner of the Tesla told dispatchers that the battery was dying and the suspect stopped on the freeway shortly after.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) made contact with the driver, identified as Filiberto Felix, 30 of Riverside, and apprehended him and turned him over to officers. Felix was booked into jail for car theft, felony evading police and probation violations. He is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

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