Harvey Henry Duson, 45, was arrested on Feb. 15 in Arizona near the Nevada border after eluding police in San Diego the day before and sparking a high-speed vehicle pursuit that crossed into several states. Duson, who was allegedly in violation of his parole, is suspected of being one of three masked, armed men connected to the violent invasion of the University City home of MTS chairman Harry Mathis last month, which included an armed holdup and arson. Police have not yet released what — if anything — was stolen from the home. During their monthlong investigation, the San Diego Police Department’s Robbery Unit identified Duson as one of the suspects, and detectives were planning to arrest him at a scheduled meeting with his state parole agent in El Cajon on Feb. 14, said SDPD Capt. Terry McManus. Just before 5 p.m. that day, however, Duson called his parole officer, claiming his vehicle had broken down on Interstate 8. Soon after, police located Duson’s disabled vehicle, a Pontiac Grand Prix with heavily tinted windows, on the right shoulder of the eastbound freeway lane. Unsure whether or not Duson was inside, police surrounded the car and blocked off all but one of the eastbound lanes for public safety. The cautious stalemate lasted two hours until officers smashed the windows and pried open the trunk, only to find the vehicle empty, save for some long-stemmed roses and a Valentine’s Day teddy bear. A follow-up investigation led to information that Duson had contacts in other cities, and detectives believed he might have fled to Las Vegas, said McManus. Despite evading arrest on Valentine’s Day, Duson was pulled over in a rented 2010 Mazda in Arizona for an unrelated traffic violation the following day. “He was pulled over for speeding,” said McManus. “As part of the Arizona Highway Patrol’s routine process, they found he was in violation of his parole.” After the officer attempted to arrest Duson for parole violation, Duson sped off, leading police on a high-speed pursuit through treacherous conditions — including sharp hairpin turns and inclement weather — that crossed through several states on Interstate 15. Police deployed spike strips, which Duson swerved to avoid, and collided with another motorist. His vehicle then hit a guardrail and overturned several times. Duson was taken to a hospital in Las Vegas where San Diego police detectives are conducting a follow-up investigation. He is being held for violation of his parole, unlawful flight from law enforcement, endangerment and three counts of felony criminal damage to personal and state property, according to SDPD Lt. Andra Brown. The two other suspects in the University City home invasion case remain unidentified. McManus said police are making it their immediate priority to identify and locate the other suspects in the case.
