A man in Stanislaus County, California, was arrested following a police pursuit, during which he allegedly fled while speeding at 85 mph. While he managed to elude the deputies, a family member ended up accidentally leading them back to him.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) detailed that the incident occurred on Tuesday, July 21. At around 11:04 p.m., a deputy observed a black sedan at Peter Johansen High School, located at 651 Norseman Drive in Modesto.
A man, later identified as 21-year-old Ricardo Villalvazo, was accused of illegally parking in a no-parking area. The deputy, at the time, was attempting to position his vehicle before intervening.
However, Villalvazo chose to speed away, the SCSO said. A traffic stop was later attempted, to the same result.
85 MPH Chase
A pursuit began, during which the 21-year-old was accused of reaching speeds of 85 mph. The sheriff’s office also said that Villalvazo ran red lights and drove into oncoming traffic.
The driver’s attempt to elude the authorities was successful, at least for a while. Due to the danger his driving posed and after losing contact with him, the SCSO terminated the pursuit.
The authorities didn’t stop looking for him, though. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) deputies and Air Support responded and began assisting with Villalvazo’s search.
Familly Meetup
With the search ongoing, SCSO deputies got an unexpected call. A concerned family member of Villalvazo contacted law enforcement, identifying him as the driver.
This same family member later came into contact with the suspect some time later. While the family member’s intentions were not specified by the SCSO, she did allow him into her vehicle.
A UAS deputy using a drone caught notice of the meetup, which occurred at a gas station, as shown in the provided footage attached above. Shortly after, SCSO deputies reapproached Villalvazo and attempted yet another traffic stop.
Driver Arrested
Again, the California driver chose to speed away near Locust Street. This time around, the SCSO managed to immobilize the sedan via spike strips.
Villalvazo then proceeded to exit his vehicle and attempt to make a run for it, the sheriff’s office said. He hid in the backyard of a residence located on Emerald Avenue.
A K-9 unit made his attempted hiding impossible. Villalvazo was arrested and then transported to a local hospital for treatment and clearance.
He was then booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center. He is charged with evading, evading while driving into oncoming traffic, and obstruction.