A routine traffic stop in Stockton turned tense on Monday when deputies say the driver took off, sparking a brief pursuit that ended near Sierra Nevada Street. According to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle had been tied to a residential burglary reported last week. The driver eventually surrendered to deputies, who say they recovered evidence from inside the car.
The sheriff’s office identified the suspect as 44-year-old Roger Potts, who now faces a stacked list of allegations. As reported by CBS Sacramento, deputies say those counts include kidnapping, residential burglary, possession of stolen property, evading law enforcement, hit-and-run and outstanding felony warrants.
A passenger in the vehicle told deputies they had “repeatedly asked the suspect to stop and let them out during the pursuit,” the sheriff’s office told CBS Sacramento. Investigators say they also recovered items believed to have been taken in the earlier burglary, along with tools commonly used in residential break-ins.
How California Law Sees The Charges
Under California law, kidnapping and residential burglary are treated as serious felonies. Kidnapping is defined in Penal Code 207, according to the California Legislature, and first-degree residential burglary falls under Penal Code 459, outlined by Shouse Law Group…