September 21, 2022 - Merced – On July 28, 2022, at approximately 11:34 A.M., Merced Police officers spotted a stolen vehicle in the area of W. 8th and T Street in Merced. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle being driven by Jose Antonio Fernandez-Ramirez (25) of Merced. Fernandez-Ramirez refused to pull over and led officers on pursuit that reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.
Fernandez-Ramirez later abandoned the vehicle and officers determined he had a passenger that he refused to let go during the pursuit. The vehicle was later recovered by officers from the California Highway Patrol and Fernandez-Ramirez went on the run.
Fernandez-Ramirez is wanted for kidnapping, false imprisonment, auto theft, possession of stolen property and felony evading.
Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact Detective Edwin Arias at (209) 388-7826 or by email at ariase@cityofmerced.org.
Case Number: 22-44220
Other ways to contact us or report crime include:
For any emergency call or text 911
For non-emergency call 209-385-6912
Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725
Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.
Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.
Source: Merced Police Department
