A former Los Angeles County Fire Department captain was arrested Friday, a week after he was suspected to have been involved in an alleged kidnapping and high-speed chase through Santa Clarita.
Robert Goldman, 64, whose city of residence was listed as Valley Village in the Sheriff’s Department arrest logs, was arrested on several felony charges, along with having several outstanding charges.
The L.A. County Department of Personnel Services Section Division declined to comment, citing that they would neither confirm nor deny past or present employment of individuals. The Fire Department’s Employee Relations Department was not immediately available to comment.
The alleged incident that led to Goldman’s arrest began Feb. 7 in Palmdale.
On Tuesday, Lt. Ignacio Somoano of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station said that prior to the chase, Goldman had picked up his girlfriend on the 19300 block of Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country, in violation of a restraining order.
“He coaxed her into his vehicle and traveled to Palmdale,” said Somoano via email. “When they stopped to use the restroom at a business, she told employees she had been taken against her will.”
Palmdale sheriff’s deputies reportedly caught up to Goldman on the 300 block of West Rancho Vista Boulevard in Palmdale soon after.
“We had a report of a kidnapping. We tried to stop him and he decided to flee,” said Lt. Joshua Borbon of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station. “And we pursued.”
The chase was canceled due to the high speeds, which reached upwards of 100 mph. California Highway Patrol officers from the CHP’s Newhall Office tried to stop the vehicle, but another pursuit was reportedly initiated. That pursuit traveled down to the San Fernando Valley where it was once again canceled due to hazardous conditions.
“Santa Clarita Valley detectives presented the case to the San Fernando District Attorney’s Office and several felony charges were filed on Mr. Goldman, including, stalking, violation of a court order, felony evading and resisting arrest,” said Somoano. “Mr. Goldman had also been out on bail on several other previous charges and had several arrest warrants totaling $650,000 in bail.”
Goldman was eventually located by the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood Division and turned over to the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at the San Fernando Courthouse on the new charges. Officials with the District Attorney’s Office were unavailable to confirm the outcome of his arraignment Tuesday afternoon.
He was being held in lieu of $1.1 million bail.
