A suspect in several burglaries who allegedly led police on a high-speed chase into Cathedral City before crashing while trying to get onto Interstate 10 was behind bars Tuesday in Banning.
Palm Springs resident Waldo Craig Barker, 36, was arrested about 7:20 p.m. Monday near Date Palm Drive and Interstate 10 in Cathedral City, when he crashed into a barrier. About 15 minutes prior to that, a police officer spotted him in a car in Palm Springs and tried to arrest him, Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.
The officer was patrolling in Palm Springs when he saw Barker stopped in a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am and recognized him as a wanted felon, the sergeant said.
"The officer stopped his patrol car in front of Barker’s vehicle and ordered Barker at gunpoint to turn off the car," Kovaleff said. "Barker ignored the officer’s repeated commands, backed the vehicle up, and sped off."
The ensuing pursuit lasted about 10 minutes, as Barker led the officers about 10 miles into Cathedral City at speeds up to about 120 mph, Kovaleff said.
"Barker lost control of his vehicle as he attempted to turn onto the eastbound I-10 on-ramp from northbound Date Palm Drive," Kovaleff said. "He collided with a road barrier and the pursuit ended."
He was arrested, treated for minor injuries and booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, with bail set at $100,000. He is expected to be arraigned Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to jail records.
Barker had been wanted in connection to two residential burglaries, two vehicle burglaries, and a vehicle theft, according to Kovaleff.
--City News Service contributed to this report.
