The Chico Police Department received a call to assist a Chico Highway Patrol officer that had conducted a traffic enforcement stop on the Highway 99 off ramp near East Avenue in Chico on Feb. 23rd, at approximately 11:42 p.m., according to the CPD news release.

Once the CPD officer arrived at the scene, the original driver had been detained prior to the officer’s arrival and attempted to assist by identifying the passenger in the vehicle, but soon realized that the passenger was allegedly proving a false name. 

After the realization, the passenger allegedly locked the doors and jumped into the driver’s seat. He allegedly fled the scene and began to drive the vehicle south on Highway 99 to the East 1st Avenue exit with officers in pursuit after him. 

“The driver drove eastbound on E. 1st Avenue with willful and wanton disregard for the safety of the public and extreme speed and failing to stop at red lights,” said the news release. 

For this reasoning, Chico officers decided to halt the pursuit. The passenger that allegedly took over the vehicle was later identified as 27 year-old Alex Cole Bundlie of Paradise. 

Bundile was found to have felony warrants for his arrest in Paradise by Paradise Police Department and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office as well as a felony of evasion in Chico, according to the news release.

Bundlie has not been arrested yet due to the unknown information regarding his whereabouts.

Angelina Mendez can be contacted at [email protected]or on Twitter @theorion_angie