A man with a long criminal history has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a chaotic stolen-car chase that ended with a woman seriously injured on the Pacific Beach Boardwalk.
Juan Antonio Gonzaba, 39, entered his plea Wednesday after prosecutors accused him of stealing a Tesla in La Jolla and leading police on a pursuit through San Diego on Monday. He faces up to 24 years and eight months in state prison if convicted on all charges.
According to police, officers spotted the stolen Tesla around 12:30 p.m. and tried to pull Gonzaba over. He allegedly sped off instead, crashing into a roadside electrical transformer before continuing toward the Pacific Beach Boardwalk, where pedestrians scrambled to get out of the vehicle’s path.
A 25-year-old woman was struck during the incident and suffered two fractured right ribs, two fractured vertebrae and an abdominal laceration, police said. She remained hospitalized as of Wednesday.
Candace Hadley, a public information officer with the San Diego Fire Department, described how close the situation came to being far worse.
“A lot of people dove out of the way very quickly and it really could have been so much worse,” Hadley told NBC San Diego. “This is a very busy boardwalk, having someone drive through this area is incredibly frightening.”
Gonzaba eventually abandoned the Tesla and fled on foot, with bystanders giving chase. One witness, Alex Srour, recorded part of the pursuit using Meta smart glasses before Gonzaba was taken into custody by police.
Following the arrest, details of Gonzaba’s background surfaced. NBC 7 reported he has an “extensive criminal history” that includes assault, battery, burglary and grand theft.
His arraignment Wednesday was itself disorderly. Gonzaba reportedly behaved erratically in court, banging his head against a glass wall as a judge repeatedly ordered him to remain quiet.
Investigators suspect Gonzaba was under the influence at the time of the chase. Results of a blood test are still pending.
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