WALNUT CREEK — A suspected burglar needed surgery to remove a stolen ring that he reportedly swallowed while fleeing police in a chase that included crashing his car into a BART fence last week, police said Tuesday.
Joel Steffensen, 36, of Martinez, was charged by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office with felony burglary, felony evasion of police officers and felony resisting arrest after his attempt to elude officers responding to a home burglary in the 2700 block of Walnut Boulevard on March 31, police said. The chase ended when the white four-door Honda crashed into a chain-link fence.
Steffensen went to the hospital after the crash, where an X-ray revealed that he had a ring in his esophagus, Walnut Creek police spokesman Lt. Lanny Edwards said. Doctors surgically removed the ring, and the resident of the home that was burglarized identified it, he said.
“We don’t know what he was thinking, or when he might’ve swallowed it,” Edwards said. “It wasn’t smart.”
The ring appears to be a gold wedding band in photos released by police on Tuesday. Images of Steffensen’s X-rays were also released, showing the ring lodged in his esophagus.
According to police, the burglary on Walnut Boulevard occurred around 7:20 a.m. Edwards said that when officers arrived, Steffensen sped away going north on Walnut Boulevard and eventually made his way to Jones Road. The car passed two Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office patrol cars, who took over the pursuit, Edwards said.
The car then crashed into the fence at the intersection of Jones and Walden roads. After the crash, Steffensen tried to run away and hide, but officers found him. He then ran away again, and officers chased him down, Edwards said.
Steffensen remained in custody Tuesday at the County Jail in Martinez in lieu of $1.355 million bail.
Contact Rick Hurd at 925-945-4789 and follow him at Twitter.com/3rderh