Felon charged with evading and other offenses after Thursday pursuit in Hemet, San Jacinto

BANNING — A convicted felon who allegedly led police on a back-and-forth chase between Hemet and San Jacinto, eventually fleeing on foot and injuring a patrolman, was charged Monday with felony evading and other offenses.

Esai German Corona, 21, of San Jacinto was arrested Thursday after the pursuit ended close to where it began.

Along with the evading count, Corona is charged with eluding a peace officer, receiving a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest resulting in great bodily injury to a law enforcement official.

The defendant pleaded not guilty, and a Riverside County Superior Court judge  scheduled a March 28 felony settlement conference at the Banning Justice Center.

Corona is being held in lieu of $155,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to Hemet police Sgt. Bob Nishida, members of the Hemet-San Jacinto Gang Task Force, which is comprised of Hemet police officers and county sheriff’s deputies, spotted Corona in the 600 block of North State Street about 5:20 p.m. behind the wheel of a vehicle that had been reported stolen.

The task force patrolmen attempted to stop the defendant, but he allegedly accelerated away from the officers, leaving the Hemet city limits and heading north toward San Jacinto. Nishida alleged that the probationer turned around moments after entering San Jacinto and headed back into Hemet.

According to the sergeant, Corona bailed out of the car near a business in the 900 block of State and ran into a parking lot, where he unsuccessfully attempted to hide under a vehicle.

As the officers were wrestling the convicted felon into custody, one of the lawmen was injured, though Nishida didn’t offer specifics. He said the officer was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to fully recover.
Corona wasn’t hurt.

No property damage was reported in connection with the chase.

According to court records, Corona has prior convictions for auto theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, resisting arrest and presenting false identification to a peace officer.

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