Car chase suspect crashes into ice cream truck in Castroville

A man is behind bars after leading Salinas Police on a car chase Thursday night that ended with a car crash in Castroville.

It started while officers were on patrol in the area of Del Monte and Pacific Avenue. They noticed a vehicle committing a vehicle code violation.

Officers tried to stop the driver at Rider and Del Monte in Salinas. He refused to stop and led police on a chase to Castroville, before crashing into a parked ice cream truck at Merritt and Preston Streets.

Four people inside the car ran away. The driver, Jose Martinez, 20, tried jumping fences but was caught and arrested by officers.

A child attending service at a nearby church told officers a man ran through the church’s yard and tossed something in the bushes nearby. The officers later found a loaded .38 caliber chrome revolver.