Police Chase Ends at Catholic Church as Suspect is Arrested on Altar Amid Funeral for 11-Year-Old Cancer Patie
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Jose Espinosa, knelt in front of a stained-glass window and police handcuffed him on the altar.
A wild police chase that saw a suspect lead cops through San Diego County wound up at a Catholic Church as a funeral was being held.
Footage of the incident showed a fugitive in an SUV fleeing pursuing police in a 45-minute chase through the California county.
He then came to a sudden stop and ran into Most Precious Blood Catholic Church at Fourth Avenue and Oxford Street.
Parishioners could be seen streaming out of the sanctuary, where a funeral was being held for an 11-year-old boy who died of cancer.
"We stopped the service," Pastor Paul Selvaraj told NBC San Diego. "People were wondering who this guy was and I did not know either.”
The church was filled with grieving family members and the child’s heartbroken classmates who were there to mourn his death.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Jose Espinosa, knelt in front of a stained-glass window and police handcuffed him on the altar.
Once he was taken away, the funeral resumed.
Espinoza now faces additional charges of felony evading arrest and disorderly conduct.
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