NEWS ADVISORY

Release Date and Time: August 9th, 2011 @ 7:15 am
Subject: Pursuit Leads to the Arrest of Two Armed Gang Members
LPD Case #:  11-6160

Details: On August 8th, 2011 at approximately 8:20 pm Lodi Police officers received a call from a woman who claimed she was being followed by possible masked gang members.

Police officers located and stopped the vehicle at Sacramento St. and Turner Road. As the officers approached the vehicle, the driver/parolee Brian Gonzalez (06/20/88), rapidly accelerated almost striking one officer.

A pursuit ensued for approximately one mile going at speeds around 60 mph. Brian Gonzalez then crashed into a tree at the intersection of Locust and Church streets.  Gonzalez and his two passengers fled from the vehicle. One passenger, Rigo Lemuz 05/01/91, was caught approximately one block away from the crash scene.  Gonzalez ran into an assisted care facility at 209 N. School Street and attempted to hide.  Officers located Gonzalez inside the facility and chased him out the back door where he was arrested by other officers waiting outside.  A third person who fled from the vehicle was not apprehended.

Inside of the suspect’s vehicle was a loaded sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun.  Gonzalez and Lemuz were booked for being gang members and felons in possession of a firearm, evading police, parole hold for Gonzalez, and resisting arrest.

Rigo Lemuz 05/01/91	Brian Gonzalez 06/20/88