Merced man jailed after high-speed chase in Atwater

A Merced man was in Merced County Jail on Wednesday, a day after Atwater police said he led officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle.

An Atwater officer noticed a red Chevrolet Malibu with a traffic violation about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and tried to stop the vehicle. A check of the license plates uncovered that the car was reported stolen in Winton, Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

The driver of the vehicle failed to stop and headed south on Highway 99 at speeds more than 100 mph. The driver took the 16th Street exit in Merced and headed north on G Street, driving out of the Merced city limits at 120 mph.

The driver eventually lost control of the car while turning onto Highway 59 near Snelling and hit a barbed-wire fence and small tree, police said.

The driver, 23-year-old George Garcia, and his passenger were then taken into custody. The passenger was released after telling police he repeatedly asked Garcia to stop the car, Joseph said.

Garcia was jailed on suspicion of driving without a license, being in possession of a stolen vehicle, evading police and outstanding warrants.

Booking records show Garcia was jailed at least two times on similar charges last year.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Merced man jailed after high-speed chase in Atwater."