A car chase started at Milpitas High School and ended in Union City after a homeless man tried to kidnap a female student on campus Tuesday afternoon, said Milpitas police.
Ephremjay Uganda Chambers, 33, was booked into the Santa Clara main jail on a variety of charges, including attempted kidnapping, annoying a minor, assaulting a peace officer, felony evading, hit and run, auto theft and resisting arrest.
"We commend our students for doing the right thing and taking the appropriate action," said Principal Ken Schlaff, who reminded students to stay aware of their surroundings and seek help immediately in similar situations. Automated calls went out to parents at 7 p.m. Tuesday to alert them.
In his 14 years at Milpitas High, Schlaff said there have been no similar incidents on campus.
Police said Chambers had approached the student in front of the school and tried to engage her to go to his van. When she started walking toward the school office, he followed her and approached two other female students, offering them a ride, said Schlaff.
A staff member reported the incident to an on-campus police officer (school resource officer) on Tuesday around 2:30 p.m., while school was in session.
Chambers was parked in front of the school, and a security guard used her car to try to block him from leaving. He tried to back into her, said the principal.
Then a police officer spotted Chambers leaving the area in his van and tried to stop him. Chambers sped up and hit a vehicle on his way to the freeway, according to police.
CHP officers took over the pursuit as Chambers drove north on Interstate 880 through Fremont. He took the freeway exit at Union City and abandoned the van in a residential neighborhood.
In Union City, Chambers fought with Milpitas police officers to resist arrest. He was later taken to a hospital by paramedics to treat minor injuries.
After further investigation, the van was determined to have been an unreported stolen vehicle from a San Jose residence.
