Wild ride through Huntington Beach ends with arrest of wrong-way driver at shipyard

A Long Beach man who on Monday took police on a wild ride through Huntington Beach — driving the wrong way on Coast Highway and inspiring three separate pursuits — was arrested without incident at a Huntington Harbour shipyard, police reported Tuesday.

Rory McGuire-Krueger, 30, was taken into custody Monday afternoon at a parking lot near Sunset Aquatic Marina, ending an incident that began with an officer’s observation of a white Honda CRV driving recklessly on Pacific Coast Highway near 17th Street, according to Huntington Beach Police Spokeswoman Jennifer Carey.

“The vehicle was driving at high rates of speed on PCH, crossing into oncoming traffic and swerving in and out of lanes,” Carey confirmed. “Out of a concern for public safety, we terminated the pursuit.”

Carey explained officers may disengage from a chase if they believe continuing to pursue a suspect could potentially pose a threat to innocent bystanders or other motorists. Instead, they will relay a vehicle’s license plate and description to other officers in the area.

A short time after the initial pursuit ended, Carey said the suspect’s vehicle was seen in a parking stall near Bolsa Chica Street and Warner Avenue. Officers conducted a high-risk stop, approaching McGuire-Krueger with guns drawn, according to Carey.

“The suspect intentionally rammed an officer’s vehicle, and a pursuit once again ensued,” she said.

This time, officers followed McGuire-Krueger into the marina area, where he again pulled into a parking stall. A second high-risk stop was conducted, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident, Carey said.

McGuire-Krueger was arrested on suspicion of evading peace officers with a wanton disregard for safety, wrong-way driving and assault with a deadly weapon on an officer.

An online prison inmate locator maintained by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department indicated he was being held in the county’s Theo Lacy Facility on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

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