Shooting leads deputies on high-speed chase from Oceano to Santa Maria

January 22, 2021

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Shortly after reports of a shooting Thursday morning, an allegedly intoxicated Grover Beach man led San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase from Oceano to Santa Maria, which ended in a car crash.

At about 7:30 a.m., a 911 caller reported hearing shots fired in the 2400 block of Ocean Street in Oceano. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the suspect’s vehicle leaving the area, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office.

The driver, Michael Erving Lockett, 31, did not yield and proceeded to lead deputies on a chase that lasted about six minutes and reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. The chase ended when Lockett crashed into another vehicle at North Broadway and West Harding Avenue in Santa Maria. No one was injured in the collision.

Deputies took Lockett into custody and located a pellet gun in his vehicle.

Deputies booked Lockett into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on felony and misdemeanor charges including evading arrest and driving under the influence of narcotics. He remains in custody with his bail set at $50,000.