A Wilmington man who initially reported his car stolen has now been arrested after being identified as the driver of a car that led Long Beach police officers on a high speed chase that ultimately ended in a collision and a foot pursuit.
33-year-old Marcus Brando Williams was driving recklessly in his 2011 Chevy Malibu on August 26, 2012, when an officer attempted to pull him over at Pacific Coast Highway and 19th St. just west of the Traffic Circle. It was then that the yet-to-be-identified Williams led officers on a high-speed chase that ended when Williams collided into two parked cars.
According to police, a foot chase began and Williams was eventually able to evade officers. Three days later, Williams contacted the LBPD to claim his car had been stolen. Heading the investigation, LBPD ultimately identified Williams as the driver and charged him with reckless driving, hit-and-run, evading arrest and filing a false police report.
Williams was convicted by jury on all counts this past Monday.
“What Williams did, by his reckless driving and his running from the police, [was] endanger the public and the officer who was trying to do his job,” said Deputy City Prosecutor Ryan Sanders, the prosecutor who presented the case to the jury, in a press release. “Our next priority is ensuring the victims recover fully from the damages caused by his crime.”
Williams will be formally sentenced tomorrow, where he faces 27 months in county jail and up to $2,000 in fines.
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