Stolen car crashes into house after chase

GULFPORT -- The pursuit of a stolen car ended with a crash into a Gulfport home Thursday night, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

At about 10 p.m. Thursday, a deputy spotted a silver 2006 Saturn Vue speeding on Bay Pines Boulevard in Seminole. A computer check on the car revealed that it had been reported stolen on Nov. 3. The deputy followed the car onto Tyrone Boulevard as he called for assistance.

The driver of the Saturn, Joe Lewis Bradford, 20, of 4057 Ninth Ave. S in St. Petersburg, (pictured above) saw the patrol car behind him near 71st Street N and began to flee, deputies said. Two deputies chased after him.

A few minutes later, deputies said, Bradford lost control of the Saturn, crashing into a Gulfport home, 1202 58th St. S. Bradford and his passenger, Darryl Jenkins, 20, 4702 15th Ave. S in St. Petersburg, (pictured left) ran from the car.

Deputies secured the area with two K-9 teams. At about 10:45 p.m., Jenkins was found hiding in the yard of a nearby home. Bradford was found about 30 minutes later in a different yard.

Both suspects suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, and Bradford was bitten in the leg by a police dog during his arrest. They were both taken to Bayfront Medical Center, pending a transfer to the Pinellas County Jail.

Police later found cocaine and a handgun in the stolen car. The handgun had been reported stolen on Dec. 15, 2007.

Bradford was charged with grand theft of an automobile, grand theft of a firearm, driving with a suspended license, possession of cocaine, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries and felon in possession of a firearm.

Jenkins was charged with grand theft of an automobile and resisting arrest with violence. He also had outstanding warrants for violating probation on unrelated charges of cocaine possession, selling cocaine and failure to pay child support.

-- Kim Wilmath, Times Staff Writer
[Photos provided by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office]