Vehicle pursuit ends when Lucerne Valley man slams into utility pole

A Lucerne Valley man was arrested after he led deputies on a vehicle pursuit, which ended when he collided with a utility pole.

Thomas Barnett, 37, remained at the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on Tuesday. He is being held without bail for a parole violation.

Barnett appeared the same day in Victorville Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges, including a felon possessing a firearm, evading law enforcement and vehicle theft. He is scheduled back in court on Thursday, court records show.

The Victor Valley Station reported that at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, deputies Schwingel and Coley attempted to stop a driver of a white Ford-F150 for vehicle code violations.

The driver, later identified as Barnett, refused to stop and drove through several private property perimeter fences, hit multiple mailboxes and eventually stopped when he collided with a Southern California Edison power pole in the area of Buenos Aires and Buena Vista roads in Lucerne Valley.

During a search of Barnett’s vehicle, deputies located a loaded handgun on the driver’s side floorboard and six additional handguns in a black storage box.

The firearms were confirmed stolen during a recent burglary in Apple Valley. The vehicle Barnett was driving was reported stolen out of Ontario in January. He was arrested and booked at the HDDC.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked by the Sheriff’s Department to contact Deputy A. Schwingel at the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station at 760-552-6800. Callers can remain anonymous and contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or wetip.com.  

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz