A felon released from his prison sentence early by the state was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Ceres after leading Stanislaus County Auto Theft Task Force (StanCATT) deputies on a dangerous pursuit in which he allegedly tried to ram his car into them.
Shane Thomas, 35, of Modesto, faces a number of charges, including three counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, leading police on a pursuit resulting in injuries, fleeing the scene of an accident, auto theft and resisting arrest.
The incident began at approximately 2:20 p.m. when Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to StanCATT located a stolen vehicle in Modesto. While conducting surveillance on the car, they recognized Thomas as committing a prior vehicle theft. The team watched as Thomas got into the car and followed him until he stopped at a gas station at Golden State Blvd. and Keyes Road in Keyes. While trying to take him into custody, Thomas used his car to strike two police vehicles which deputies and officers were standing near. He sped off, driving onto northbound Highway 99 and exiting at Mitchell Road in Ceres with deputies in pursuit.
Thomas lost control and crashed into an occupied vehicle at Moore Road and Whitmore Avenue. He ran into a nearby apartment complex.
Two persons in the vehicle which Thomas crashed into were taken to a local hospital out of precaution.
Police set up a perimeter around the complex, and was able to pinpoint his location by use of a drone. When he refused to surrender, police sent in a canine to apprehend Thomas. He continued to fight deputies during his arrest.
Thomas was treated at a hospital for the bite wounds before he was booked.
Prior to this incident, Thomas had been released by the state on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) for domestic violence, supervised by the Stanislaus County Probation Department. But he quickly became wanted by probation officers for failure to follow the terms of his supervision.
In addition to the warrants, Thomas was booked at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for three counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, leading police on a pursuit resulting in injuries, fleeing the scene of an accident, and resisting arrest.
No law enforcement officers were injured.
