Suspect arrested after traffic stop leads to car chase

A routine traffic stop turned into a car chase through the outskirts of Shafter that ended in front of the suspect’s residence in the city.

On Friday night, at approximately 8 p.m., an officer from the Shafter Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle that had run a stop sign at the intersection of Fresno and Poplar avenues, officers said.

The driver, later identified as Christopher Sergio Acosta, 42, failed to stop, and led officers on a lengthy pursuit through the outskirts of the city and then back into Shafter, where he stopped in front of his residence.

After refusing to come out of the vehicle for about 25 minutes, he was taken into custody without further incident, officers said. The Kern County Sheriff’s helicopter assisted by monitoring the pursuit.

According to police, Acosta violated several vehicle codes during the pursuit, but his speeds were not excessive for the outlying areas. Acosta was booked at the Kern County Central Receiving Facility. He was charged with evading, driving with a suspended license, possession of marijuana while driving, and obstructing.