It wasn’t your average Wednesday morning on the usually quiet streets of Claremont.

Police are searching for a domestic violence suspect who led them on a wild chase that ended when he crashed into a house. A witness claims the suspect may have hid out in their garage.

Multiple 911 calls were made just after 2 a.m. Wednesday morning regarding a woman screaming on the 1100 block of North Mountain Avenue, according to Lt. Jason Walters of the Claremont Police Department. Police did not elaborate on what happened and characterized the incident only as a domestic violence situation.

When officers arrived, a white Ford Expedition was seen driving away from the area. When police tried to pull over the driver, the driver failed to yield and a chase began. The chase lasted about a mile before the Expedition jumped a curb and crashed into a garage door of a home of the 700 block of Ridgefield Drive, Lt. Walters said.

The suspect then fled on foot but was not apprehended by police. Claremont police would not release his name or a description of the suspect, stating that it was “an active investigation.”

The victim suffered minor injuries, including scrapes on her hand and abrasions, and was transported to a hospital for precautionary reasons, Lt. Walters said. The garage sustained minor damage.

A neighbor on?Ridgefield Drive, who asked to remain anonymous, told the COURIER that the suspect may have hid out in their home and, apparently, enjoyed a few drinks in the process.

The neighbor first became suspicious when the family dog was found in the front yard in the morning,  as opposed to the garage, where it usually sleeps. Upon further investigation, they noticed a cooler and a duffel bag had been ransacked in the garage.

The police were called, and an empty can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade was recovered from the scene. Two additional beers were reported missing by the resident.

The responding officer took the can as evidence, the neighbor said.

“I was up at 4:30 this morning and I had to go to the garage,” the neighbor said. “But I’m grateful I didn’t. Who knows how long he was in there.”

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411.

—Matthew Bramlett

news@claremont-courier.com