Antioch man convicted of firearm possession, stealing vehicle and reckless driving
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 1, 2024) — A jury in Contra Costa County convicted an Antioch man on offenses related to a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle and illegal firearm possession.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint in Superior Court charging 33-year-old Artis Chavez Crenshaw, Jr., on July 6, 2023. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Philip Farmer, and on January 18, a jury in Pittsburg found Crenshaw guilty on four out of five counts.
The offenses with which Crenshaw was charged with started on July 1, when a victim’s vehicle was stolen in Antioch. On July 2nd, peace officers spotted Crenshaw driving the stolen vehicle in Concord and attempted to pull him over. A high-speed chase ensued between police and Crenshaw that began on Port Chicago Highway near Highway 4. The pursuit continued onto westbound Highway 4 as Crenshaw accelerated to 115 mph while weaving through traffic. Even after the CHP laid down a spike strip at Sycamore Avenue near Hercules to disable the vehicle, Crenshaw continued to evade officers by driving with a flattened tire onto eastbound Highway 4. He was eventually involved in a crash at the San Marco Boulevard exit in Bay Point and was taken into custody after the collision. The entire pursuit totaled 23 miles and lasted 16 minutes. During his arrest, officers found an AR style pistol in the stolen vehicle.
Artis Chavez Crenshaw, Jr.’s sentencing hearing will be on March 1at 8:30 am in front of Judge John Cope at the Arnason Justice Center in Pittsburg. Crenshaw faces a maximum of four years and four months in state prison.
Case No. 04-23-01211 | The People of the State of California v. Artis Chavez Crenshaw, Jr.