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Motorcyclist goes on high-speed chase through Linda
The Yuba County Sheriff's Department said Johnnie Ray Bunch II has a long criminal history and is widely known to local law enforcement.
His previous Yuba County arrests, according to Appeal-Democrat records, include:
• Corporal injury to spouse, cruelty to a child and illegal weapon possession in July 2011.
• Felony evasion of a law-enforcement officer and misusing tear gas in December 2006.
• Drunken driving in October 2001.
• Burglary, assault with a weapon, false imprisonment and drunken driving in November 1997.
— Rob Parsons
A Dobbins man is behind bars in Yuba County, a day after leading officers on a drunken 95-mph chase through Linda on a motorcycle, the California Highway Patrol said.
Johnnie Ray Bunch II, 39, tried to outrun the CHP and Yuba County sheriff’s deputies at about 4:30 p.m. Monday while riding a 1987 Honda Hurricane after officers tried to stop him for speeding on North Beale Road, Officer Jodie Beck said.
“He accelerated toward (Beale Air Force Base) then turned onto Brophy Road going about 95 mph,” Beck said.
Bunch took the bike onto walkways at the Yuba Garden Apartments, briefly losing officers in the 1800 block of Hammonton-Smartsville Road.
Officers picked up his trail a short time later and pursued him to Lowe Avenue. The chase turned onto Montclair Avenue, then Dodson Avenue, Beck said.
Bunch ditched his bike, hopped a fence and tried to run away from authorities on foot.
Deputy Tom Oakes found Bunch trying to hide under a porch in the 5800 block of Rupert Avenue in Linda.
Bunch was booked into the Yuba County Jail on suspicion of evading police, drunken driving, possession of a switchblade and driving on a suspended license. He is being held without bail on an unrelated warrant for evading peace officers and assault with a deadly weapon.
CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785. Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.
