Carjacker arrested after brief high-speed pursuit on I-5 in Encinitas

The southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in the Encinitas area were briefly shut down on Saturday, Jan. 16, while sheriff’s deputies pursued and arrested a carjacker.

(File photo)

The incident began around 3:30 p.m. when a motorist reported that his white Ford Fusion had been carjacked by a woman near the intersection of Pointsettia Avenue and Road Runner Road in San Marcos, according to Lt. Pat McEvoy. The victim was found bleeding from the head.

The carjacker proceeded on to westbound state Route 78, then transitioned south on I-5. She was spotted by a Sheriffs Department helicopter crew, who relayed her position to deputies who laid down spike strips on the freeway near Encinitas Boulevard. McEvoy said the woman stopped to avoid the strips but that it became necessary to use a canine unit to bring her under control.

The freeway chase lasted less than five minutes, but the helicopter crew reported that the carjacker’s vehicle reached speeds of 100 mph, McEvoy said.

— Gary Robbins is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune