Turlock police pursuit on Highway 99 ends in collision, injuries and arrest at gunpoint
A police pursuit in Turlock ended in a collision with a guns-drawn arrest on Wednesday morning, according to officials.
Robert James Hernandez, 39, was arrested at gunpoint near Main Street at Highway 99 at about 8 a.m. on suspicion of 17 different charges including: evading police, felony possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of meth for sale and carrying a stolen loaded firearm.
The Turlock Police Department initiated the pursuit on the 2800 block of Countryside Drive after an officer spotted Hernandez, who had several warrants out for his arrest from multiple agencies in both Stanislaus and Merced counties. One of the warrants was for allegedly evading a Turlock police officer, according to TPD.
Police knew that he would most likely be armed, dangerous and “knew he wasn’t going to surrender easily,” said Dominique Sanchez, spokeswoman for TPD.
When the officer spotted the vehicle Hernandez was in, a traffic stop was attempted but Hernandez fled at a high rate of speed. The pursuit went on and off the highway southbound from Monte Vista. Hernandez eventually collided with a truck on Main Street, ending the pursuit, said police.
Hernandez was held at gunpoint and refused to follow commands at first. Eventually he cooperated and was taken to the hospital due to injuries he sustained during the collision. Hernandez also had a passenger in the vehicle. The chase and arrest lasted about 25 minutes, Sanchez said.
Hernandez and his passenger, 35-year-old Athea Gonzalez, were both transported to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries according to TPD.
Gonzalez was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sale and possession of a stolen loaded firearm.
Hernandez is currently being held in lieu of a total bail amount of nearly $900,000 for all charges. Gonzalez’s bail was set to $200,000.
This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 12:38 PM.
