‘Reckless’ 16-year-old driver arrested after pursuit

On Jan. 2 the Visalia Police Department conducted an enforcement detail on South Mooney Boulevard in response to an ongoing issue with reckless drivers and illegal speed contests.

At approximately 6:37 p.m., an officer attempted to stop a reckless driver in the area of Mooney Boulevard and Visalia Parkway. Police say the suspect failed to yield and a vehicle pursuit was initiated south of the City of Visalia.

After continuing through surface streets and numerous orchards, the pursuit was discontinued by ground units in the area of Road 156 and Avenue 256, police said. The vehicle was subsequently tracked by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Air Unit to an orchard east of the City of Farmersville, according to authorities.

Officers ultimately responded to that area and located the suspect as he was being picked up after abandoning the vehicle. The alleged driver of the vehicle was identified as a 16-year-old male juvenile from Visalia. It was subsequently discovered that the driver was also wanted by the Farmersville Police Department for a vehicle pursuit that allegedly occurred the day prior.

During the course of the investigation, Kimberly Makert, 42, of Visalia was taken into custody for being an accessory to a felony after the fact, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and committing a felony while out on bail. The male driver was booked for charges related to the vehicle pursuit, possession of burglary tools, narcotics related charges, and charges related to the prior incident in Farmersville.

The Visalia Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Farmersville Police Department, and the Exeter Police Department.