DA: Salinas man sentenced to prison for leading police on chase while on drugs

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said a Salinas man has been sentenced to four years in prison after investigators said he led them on a chase while under the influence of drugs.

The suspect, 30-year-old Bernardo Gomez, pleaded no contest to charges that include evading a peace officer, driving under the influence and possession of burglary tools.

The incident happened in November 2020 when officers with the California Highway Patrol tried to stop a vehicle weaving within a lane and over the center divide, nearly hitting a parked car. The driver pulled into a Quikstop Market on Williams Road, but he accelerated and drove onto Haven Boulevard as the officer approached his vehicle.

The DA's Office said officers followed Gomez, but he reached speeds up to 80 miles per hour and ran multiple stop signs on residential streets, so they stopped the chase because of the danger involved.

A short time later, officers found the vehicle crashed into a tree and stone wall and resting on the driver's side. Gomez had to be extricated from the vehicle.

The DA's Office said Gomez admitted to trying to get away from officers because he was on parole, had smoked meth, did not know if there were illegal substances in the vehicle and thought he had a warrant out for his arrest.

Investigators said limited Field Sobriety Tests and a Drug Recognition Evaluation showed that he was under the influence of drugs.