COALINGA - Property crimes detectives have arrested 25 year old Shannon Peterson of Opa-locka, Florida and 30 year old Laresha Brown of Oakland, California. Peterson faces multiple felony charges of burglary. His bail was set at $25,000 and he has since bonded out of jail. Brown faces multiple felony charges of burglary, as well as evading police and probation violation. Her bail is $76,000. However, she is not eligible to bail out on her probation hold. Brown is currently under Post-Release Community Supervision, which is part of AB 109. She has a prior conviction for evading police.
Around 6:00 pm on Monday, Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of vehicles that had been broken into in the parking lot of the Harris Ranch Inn near Interstate 5 and W. Dorris Ave. in Coalinga. Deputies learned that the burglary happened while the victims were eating at the restaurant. A window had been broken and several electronic items and pieces of luggage had been taken. While conducting an investigation, deputies learned of another vehicle that had been burglarized. Luggage was stolen from that vehicle as well.
Property crimes detectives, who have been conducting an investigation into a series of vehicle burglaries in the area, developed information about two possible suspects and their vehicle. The information was relayed to patrol units and at 8:00 pm a deputy in the area of I-5 and W. Jayne Ave. spotted the suspects’ car and tried to make a traffic stop. 
The suspects ignored the deputy’s lights and siren and sped away at more than 100 mph. The suspects blacked out their car (turned off headlights / taillights) and refused to pull over. The deputy requested help from the Sheriff’s Office helicopter, EAGLE One, the California Highway Patrol and Kings County Sheriff’s Office. At 8:30 pm, a CHP officer saw the suspects approaching the Kern County line, driving 130 mph.
About 10 minutes later, EAGLE One arrived overhead and began to follow the suspects, allowing patrol cars to reduce their speeds. At 9:00 pm, the suspects took the Highway 58 exit off I-5 in Buttonwillow. They turned down Tracy Avenue, stopped the car and got out and ran through a motel parking lot. Deputies and officers, along with a Kern County Sheriff’s K-9, setup a perimeter and searched for the suspects.
EAGLE One helped direct them to the suspects who tried hiding near semi-truck trailers. Around 9:15 pm, deputies took them into custody without any problems. The suspects were captured approximately 70 miles away from where the initial traffic stop was attempted in Coalinga. Detectives searched the suspects’ BMW car and found the stolen electronics and luggage. Detectives are investigating to see if Brown and Peterson are tied to other recent reported vehicle burglaries at the Harris Ranch Inn.
If you have any further information about these suspects, call Detective Eric Penland at (559) 600-8171 or Valley Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
