Traffic stop leads to chase in Palmdale

PALMDALE — Following a routine traffic stop, deputies found themselves engaged in a chase that lasted nearly 45 minutes.

Deputy Felix Cruz of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Palmdale station conducted a stop on Feb. 18, on a 2014 Mercedes at Tierra Subida Avenue and Fifth Street West for a traffic violation. When he approached the vehicle, he noticed the occupant moving around in the car. According to Capt. Ron Shaffer with the Palmdale station, the deputy told the man to put his hands where he could see them and to stop moving around.

Without warning, the driver started the car and took off, hitting Cruz as he fled. The deputy followed suit and the chase began, but it then had to be called off because it was becoming dangerous to other drivers.

“The helicopter came overhead and we went into surveillance mode,” Shaffer said. “This allows us to monitor at a safer pace. The driver continued to drive crazy and nearly ran someone over.”

Palmdale station Public Information Officer Deputy Ron Sneed said during the pursuit, the Mercedes driver called LASD dis

patch to let them know he was the person being pursued.

“They instructed him to pull over and he did,” he said.

When he finally stopped again, it was at Fort Tejon Road and Pilot Creek Road in Valyermo. Deputies found the driver, identified as Lydell Yarbrough, 37, to be wearing body armor. According to Sneed, he had one gun with a 50-round drum attached to it and what deputies thought at the time, to be six explosive devices.

“Arson and Explosives responded to the scene and examined the items and determined they were fireworks,” Sneed said.

They are also in the process of examining the ammunition, to determine whether it’s armor-piercing ammunition.

Shaffer said Yarbrough did not offer an explanation for the gun and other items in his car or why he suddenly fled.

“I think what happened was, he had guns in the car, they were inside the cab of the car, within arm’s reach and they weren’t supposed to be there,” he said. “He had high-capacity magazine and illegal ammunition.”

Though Cruz was hit as Yarbrough sped off, he was not injured.

Yarbrough was booked into the Palmdale station jail. His bail is set at $260,000. He has a court date set for March 10 in Lancaster.