They chased for 10 miles before deputies and a canine found their man – inside a baby’s room

A Sanger man ran but could not hide from Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies, or at least from a department dog, ending a scare involving an infant.

A 10-mile chase – which included a helicopter – was resolved safely in Parlier after a dog with the Sheriff’s Office found 44-year-old David Garza inside the room of a sleeping baby.

Garza was booked into the Fresno County Jail on suspicion of evading a peace officer.

He also was held on two no-bail felony warrants for possession of stolen property and possession of drugs.

The incident began about 8:30 p.m. Sunday when a deputy arrived at Bethel and American Avenues in Del Rey to check on a disturbance between a man and woman.

The deputy could not find the woman but located Garza, who allegedly took off in a stolen pickup.

Deputies gave pursuit in their cars before backing off in Parlier for safety reasons. The department helicopter EAGLE 1 joined in.

Garza drove into a neighborhood at East Cypress and South Smyrna avenues, the Sheriff’s Office recounted in a Facebook post, then ran into a home of somebody he knows.

But the chase did not end there, as the man fled that house, jumped fences and went inside a stranger’s home.

A woman ran out and told pursuing officers, who now included Parlier police, that the man was inside along with a 2-month-old baby.

Because of the potential threat to the infant, a Parlier officer, two deputies and canine “Tango” went in.

The door was opened to the baby’s room, where Tango was ordered to go after the intruder as he attempted to flee. The dog bit and held onto the man’s upper arm, allowing deputies to handcuff Garza – all while the baby slept through the commotion.

Garza was treated for a bite wound before being taken to jail. He is currently under post-release community supervision, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The stolen truck was returned to its owner.

Anyone with information on Garza is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 559-600-3111 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.

This story was originally published June 7, 2017 at 11:08 PM with the headline "They chased for 10 miles before deputies and a canine found their man – inside a baby’s room."