COLTON – A man that led police on a high speed chase that covered two counties is scheduled to appear in court, most likely this week. David Ronald Vargas, 35, of Colton who had been booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, had a $500,000 bail attached, though he had additional warrants.
Police said Vargas led them on a high speed chase beginning at 10:17 a.m. on November 5. Reports said a Colton police detective, driving an unmarked police car, spotted Vargas in a silver Acura near Pepper Ave. and East Valley Blvd.
Vargas, who police say was on parole, was recognized from previous criminal-based incidents, and was wanted on warrants totaling almost $1 million, according to jail records. One, according to reports, was a no bail warrant for San Bernardino County.
When the detective recognized Vargas, according to a police official, he started a pursuit that began eastbound on Interstate 10, taking Interstate 215. The chase eventually reached speeds up to 120 miles an hour, striking walls and guardrails along the way, according to police.
The pursuing detective had gotten back-up from several other officers in marked cars that joined the pursuit. Vargas, known to carry weapons, was reportedly armed and dangerous. When he exited at Columbia Ave., Vargas slammed into a guardrail which crippled the car, though he was still able to drive another half-mile on West La Cadena Drive. When his car broke down, Vargas surrendered to police. Officers arrested him at gunpoint, according to reports.
Though he faces additional charges pertaining to the warrants, Vargas was booked into jail on charges of resisting arrest and possessing drugs with intent to sell, according to records. Police did not specify the related crimes on the additional warrants.
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