A photograph of Whipple allegedly fleeing the vehicle during a police pursuit in Ukiah [Photo from UPD]
A routine patrol stop in Ukiah escalated into a high-stakes chase and arrests on drug and parole violations, according to a press release from the Ukiah Police Department (UPD).
The incident began around 3:45 p.m. on Dec. 14 when a UPD officer observed Anamaria Mejia, the driver of a Nissan SUV, talking on her cell phone while traveling eastbound on East Perkins Street. The officer, recognizing Mejia as the registered owner of the vehicle, initiated a traffic stop for the California Vehicle Code violation, the release stated.
Rather than pulling over, Mejia continued driving at a moderate speed, bypassing multiple accessible turnouts and parking lots. This behavior led the officer to suspect Mejia was attempting to evade law enforcement. As the vehicle neared East Perkins Street and Oak Manor Drive, Mejia veered sharply toward a nearby vineyard, where an unidentified male passenger jumped from the SUV and fled on foot, the UPD reported.
The officer pursued the male suspect through the vineyard, ultimately losing sight of him near Gibson Creek. Additional UPD officers established a perimeter and deployed a department-issued drone. Within a short time, the suspect, identified as Douglas Whipple III, was located in the creek and taken into custody.
Whipple, a parolee at large for three months, was on active parole for a firearms-related offense and had two outstanding felony warrants, the UPD confirmed. He was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on charges of parole violation, resisting arrest, and the existing warrants.
Later that evening, at approximately 7:30 p.m., UPD officers executed an arrest warrant at Mejia’s residence in Ukiah. Mejia was taken into custody without incident, but officers observed a significant quantity of marijuana inside the home, raising suspicions of drug sales, according to the press release.
A subsequent search warrant, executed with assistance from the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force (MMCTF), uncovered dozens of pounds of processed marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, and methamphetamine. Mejia was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on charges including aiding and abetting, accessory after the fact, and evading a peace officer. The MMCTF is forwarding additional drug-related charges, including possession of controlled substances and possession of marijuana for sale, to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.
The UPD continues to investigate and urges the community to report any suspicious activity related to narcotics or parole violations.
A routine patrol stop in Ukiah escalated into a high-stakes chase and arrests on drug and parole violations. Read More
