North Tustin Man Leads Police on High-Speed Chase

SANTA ANA —  A North Tustin man who allegedly threatened his estranged wife with a knife led authorities on a chase at speeds exceeding 100 mph until his car went over a spike strip and crashed, authorities said Tuesday.

John Allen Paquette, 36, was treated for cuts and scrapes to his leg sustained in the car crash and got stitches for dog bites before he was booked into the Orange County Jail.

Deputies were sent to the 13000 block of North Prospect Avenue, which is in an unincorporated area near Santa Ana, about 5 p.m. Monday to investigate a report that a man had threatened his wife with a knife.

“He held a knife to his wife and threatened her, then left, but he kept calling her at home, threatening to kill her and himself,” Sheriff’s Lt. Hector Rivera said.

After midnight, Paquette called again. But this time, he mentioned that he was staying at the Embassy Suites in Santa Ana, sheriff’s Lt. Debby Kuhns said.

Deputies arriving at the hotel saw him get into his car, she said.

The suspect refused their order to pull over, triggering the chase that mainly looped around the Santa Ana area, Kuhns said. Santa Ana police officers joined in the pursuit.

A spike strip placed by police in the roadway on Prospect Avenue flattened three of the tires on Paquette’s car, causing it to crash.

Rivera said the dog was used because Paquette refused to get out of the car, even after the crash. Officials had also heard that Paquette may have been armed with two guns and a knife, he said.

Rivera did not know what weapons, if any, were recovered, but said arresting officers found some methamphetamine.

Rivera said the couple are divorcing.

“As far as I know, he was served restraining orders and apparently he didn’t like being served with restraining orders and attempted to take it out on his wife,” Rivera said.