How Stanislaus County teens ended up driving themselves to jail — at high speed, no less

Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse shared this “pro tip” Monday on Facebook: If you decide to steal a car and lead cops on a pursuit, you should know where you are going.

Monday, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to reports of a disturbance by two individuals who were in a vehicle near the old NASA airbase on the county’s West Side at 8:50 a.m.

Deputies located the vehicle on Crows Landing Road near Fulkerth Avenue. To avoid law enforcement, the suspects drove off, reaching speeds over 100 mph and driving into opposing lanes, according to a Facebook post by the Sheriff’s Office.

The driver, identified as Angelo Martinez, 18, crashed into a power pole along East Hackett Road, near the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center. He and his passenger fled the scene on foot and were quickly arrested about 9:13 a.m.

A photo posted by the Sheriff’s Office shows Martinez wearing a hoodie bearing the message “F*** Your Police Department.” The attire prompted Dirkse to include in his pro tip: “wearing a more appropriate shirt is recommended” when fleeing authorities.

The passenger, a 17-year-old male, also was apprehended and has been booked into the Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall.

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