By Mike Hazlip—
A pursuit originating in Citrus Heights ended with the arrest of a suspect barricaded in a Fair Oaks home Sunday night, where an elderly woman jumped from a second-story window to flee to safety.
Citrus Heights police said the incident began shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday when officers spotted a stolen vehicle traveling northbound on Sunrise Boulevard from Madison Avenue, according to an Oct. 17 press release.
Officers followed the vehicle into neighboring Fair Oaks while additional resources arrived, police said. The driver then drove off when police attempted to conduct a traffic stop.
The suspect crashed the vehicle into a tree and fled on foot with a handgun, entering a residence on Long Acres Court occupied by an elderly couple, police said.
The husband exited the home and told officers his wife was still inside. The woman jumped from a second-floor window when the suspect entered the room where she was hiding, according to authorities. She was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the fall.
Citrus Heights police and Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies surrounded the home, spending several hours negotiating with the suspect, authorities said.
Citrus Heights police arrested 38-year-old James Jarrad, of Pittsburg, with the assistance of a Sacramento County Sheriff’s K-9 unit and deployment of less-than-lethal weapons. Jarrad will be booked into the Sacramento County jail after he is released from a local hospital, according to the release.
“I am very proud of our policing professionals and regional partners,” Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte said. “Whenever feasible, law enforcement officers utilize patience, de-escalation, and technology to obtain the safest possible outcome. This was a very dangerous situation that reached a positive resolution due care and concern of our emergency responders.”
Charges include home invasion, being a felon in possession of a firearm, fleeing an officer, and elder abuse. Police also described Jarrad as a parolee at large, with a “significant criminal history.”
