A Santa Barbara County man has received a nearly 20 year state prison sentence as the result of a confrontation with police and a car chase which left a grandmother and a ten month old infant seriously injured.
In July of 2019, Santa Barbara police tried to arrest Ricardo Sanchez for multiple drug warrants. Officers say he refused to surrender and got into his car, nearly running over a detective while fleeing.
The 38-year-old man then led officers on a high speed chase through downtown Santa Barbara, running red lights and stop signs. While crossing an intersection, the fleeing man’s car was struck by another vehicle. It was pushed onto the sidewalk where the grandmother and infant were hit.
Sanchez fled on foot, but was arrested a few blocks away from the scene. He pled guilty to more than a half dozen charges stemming from the incident, leading to this week’s sentencing.
