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Two men and a woman remain in custody Saturday suspected in mail thefts in Laguna Hills and arrested in Downey after a nearly two-hour, televised chase.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched about 2:30 p.m. Friday to the 25000 block of Buckboard Lane in the Nellie Gail neighborhood after residents reported seeing two male suspects taking mail from their mailboxes, according to Lt. Jeff Hallock of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

A sheriff’s helicopter spotted the suspects in a silver 2011 Honda Civic that was leaving the area, Hallock said.

The Honda was speeding along Alicia Parkway toward the Santa Ana (5) Freeway but failed to yield when deputies who attempted a traffic stop and the chase was on, according to Hallock.

It headed south into San Clemente before turning around and heading north, Hallock said.

“The suspect vehicle traveled northbound Interstate 5 and on surface streets through the cities of Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana and Anaheim before getting back onto the freeway,” Hallock said.

At times, the driver was going at the speed limit, but other times the driving was erratic as the driver went on the wrong side of the street and over center medians, sometimes hitting speeds in excess of 80 mph.

The chase finally ended when the Honda stopped near Lakewood Boulevard and Florence Avenue in Downey, where the driver, identified as 45-year-old David Brown, and his wife, 55-year-old Jessica Brown, and another passenger, 22- year-old Corey Richardson, were taken into custody after brief foot chases, Hallock said.

All three, residents of Anaheim, were collared by Downey Police officers, who assisted in the chase along with Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, Hallock said.

They were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property and felony evading.David Brown remained in custody in lieu of $165,000 bail, his wife Jessica in lieu of $20,000 bail and Richardson in lieu of $33,500 at the Orange County Jail. Their respective court appearances have been slated for Tuesday, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Inmate Information.

“During the initial minutes of the pursuit, the suspects threw numerous bags and pieces of mail from the vehicle,” Hallock said. “Several items, some believed to be stolen, were located inside the vehicle.

“Investigators are continuing to inventory the vehicle and items located inside, to determine the suspect’s connection to the crimes in Laguna Hills as well as other jurisdictions.”

Additional allegations are possible, Hallock said.

—City News Service

Mail-theft suspects arrested after 2-hour OC chase ends in Downey was last modified: by

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