Pursuit suspect ultimately booked on felony and misdemeanor weapons charges
A Stanislaus County man was recently arrested on suspicion of unlawful firearm possession following a short vehicle pursuit.
Shortly after 1 AM on May 17, deputies attempted an enforcement stop for traffic infractions near the intersection of Westgate Drive and Roselle Avenue.
The driver, later identified as 27-year-old Justin Rocha, reportedly did not yield and instead led deputies on a pursuit that ultimately had to be terminated out of concern for public safety, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Guns seized after Rocha’s arrest | Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office
Though deputies later found the Cadillac at a dead-end of American Avenue in unincorporated Modesto, Rocha himself reportedly escaped a second time. At one point, he allegedly called the Sheriff’s Office to make a false report that his own car stolen.
He was soon thereafter found hiding in a nearby field, armed with four different firearms, and apprehended with the help of a K-9 deputy, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Rocha, who is a previously convicted felon, was ultimately booked on nine felony and misdemeanor weapons charges. He remains in custody on $465,000 bail.
