Driver arrested after allegedly steering vehicle at officer outside CHP office in Atwater

A driver has been arrested after authorities say drove a stolen vehicle directly at a California Highway Patrol Officer.

According to the CHP, Salvador Gonzalez Chavez, 25, of Atwater, was arrested Wednesday at about 11:23 a.m. outside the California Highway Patrol Merced Communications Center at 1500 Bell Drive in Atwater.

Officer Eric Zuniga said a CHP officer was outside the building conducting business with a costumer when the officer observed a male driver in a 2012 Honda Accord driving recklessly in the intersection of Bell Lane and Bell Drive.

Zuniga said the vehicle then began to drive eastbound on Bell Drive when the driver and the officer reportedly made eye contact with each other. The driver then steered the vehicle directly toward the officer.

Authorities said the vehicle drove over the curb and sidewalk before getting stuck on the lawn outside the CHP building. According to Zuniga, the officer was not injured.

Officers arrested Chavez and a drug recognition expert indicated that Chavez showed signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance, Zuniga said.

During the CHP investigation, it was learned that the vehicle Chavez was driving was stolen during a reported car jacking in the area of M Street and West Olive Avenue in Merced earlier in that morning.

Merced police reported that Chavez allegedly car-jacked the vehicle from the drive thru at the Jack in the Box.

During the car-jacking incident, Chavez-Gonzalez allegedly broke out the passenger’s side window with a hammer and entered the vehicle, ordering the victim to drive. The victim attempted to exit the vehicle with the keys, but Chavez-Gonzalez grabbed the keys, jumped into the driver’s seat and drove away northbound on M Street, police say.

Chavez was arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of felony carjacking, robbery, stolen vehicle without owners consent and misdemeanor driving under the influence and attempted battery against a peace officer, according to jail records.

Chavez remains in custody in lieu of $192,370 bond.

This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 11:55 AM.