Fearing that his car was about to be impounded for expired registration, a 21-year-old driver instead made the unwise choice to lead police on a July 25 high-speed chase and netted more serious charges.

At 7:42 a.m. Ceres Police Officer Jesus Salinas was on Roeding Road near Faith Home Road and got behind a Toyota Corolla with registration expired two years ago. The car blew a stop sign and accelerated southbound Faith Home Road at a high rate of speed. To dodge a pickuop stopped at Service Road, the driver drove into the dirt shoulder of Faith Home Road at a high rate of speed around it and kept driving speeding southbound Faith Home Road.

The driver eventually stopped just north of Redwood Road and was removed with a passenger at gunpoint.

Toby Lee Helton Jr., 21, of Ceres, said that he fled because he wanted to make it home and feared his car would be impounded. He stopped because he realized he was not going to get away. Helton was booked for evading police and his vehicle was impounded.