Accused Pool Crasher Ends Up In Court

LOWELL, Mass. -- A Lowell family woke up to a big mess in their back yard overnight when a police chase ended with a splash in their swimming pool.

The driver of an SUV pursued by officers survived the crash and appeared in court Thursday.

Photos| Video | Man Arrested After Pool Crash Arraigned

Officers said Jesse Mesa Sanchez, 37, was driving an SUV being chased by officers when he careened down the Silva family's driveway on Fleming Street and smashed through a fence, landing in their pool about 2 a.m.

Mesa Sanchez, 37, was being chased by police as a suspect in several appliance store robberies in the area, the most recent at a rental store about 1:15 a.m. Thursday morning.

The SUV had two stolen big-screen televisions in the back of the vehicle, police said.

Officers confiscated the TVs after fishing Sanchez out of the pool and arresting him.

The homeowners were shocked to see what was going on in their yard.

"We heard a loud bang and my wife said to me, 'There's a car in the pool,' and I couldn't believe it. I was pretty surprised. How can there be a car in the pool? I looked out and there was a lot of blue lights so I knew something was happening. Then I looked out and really did see a car in the pool," Steve Silva said.

Police were tipped off to a break-in at a Rent-A-Center store on Middlesex Street in Lowell and that's what triggered the chase.

"The vehicle was stolen, it turns out ... and the defendant could not provide a fixed address at the time of his arrest," state prosecutor Sean Griffin told the court during Sanchez' arraignment.