Traffic stop leads to stolen-car arrest in Atwater

A routine traffic stop ended early Tuesday in Atwater with one man behind bars after investigators learned the vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen, the Police Department reported.

Gary Wayne Akers, 39, of Winton, was booked into the John Latorraca Correctional Facility on suspicion of vehicle theft, driving on a suspended license and displaying false registration on a vehicle, according to Merced County Jail booking records.

He was still in custody Tuesday on more than $21,000 bail, records show.

Akers was stopped in a 1994 Honda Accord around 1 a.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of Drakeley Avenue on a “mechanical violation,” Atwater Police Lt. Samuel Joseph told the Sun-Star.

Officers quickly learned Akers was driving on a suspended license and, a short time later, confirmed the registration tags and the vehicle were stolen.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Traffic stop leads to stolen-car arrest in Atwater."