A 45-year-old Berkeley man is behind bars after leading Woodland police and California Highway Patrol officers on a pursuit from Woodland to Chico, ending only after officers deployed spike strips to slow his vehicle. Dustin Garst now faces felony evading charges and a narcotics count; he also had an outstanding felony warrant from Shasta County.
The pursuit began in Woodland and continued north on Interstate 5, with California Highway Patrol officers involved, according to the Sacramento Bee
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CHP officers deployed multiple spike strips in Chico to slow the vehicle.
Fentanyl Found, Suspect Returned to Woodland
Officers searching Garst found about a quarter-ounce — roughly 7 grams — of suspected fentanyl in his possession. After his arrest in Chico, he was taken back to Woodland and booked into Yolo County Jail on evading, narcotics, and warrant-related charges.
The Monroe Detention Center serves as the primary intake facility for all arrests across Yolo County and has a rated bed capacity of 345 following state-funded expansion projects, according to the Yolo County Sheriff's Office. The facility also took in suspects from a West Sacramento shooting earlier this month.
Shasta County Warrant
Garst was on searchable probation in Shasta County at the time of his arrest and had an outstanding felony warrant there, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Garst had an outstanding felony warrant in Shasta County and was booked in Yolo County after the chase. Felony reckless evading under California Vehicle Code Section 2800.2 applies when a driver flees law enforcement with willful or wanton disregard for safety, and the charge is a wobbler offense punishable by up to three years in state prison and fines up to $10,000, according to Cron Israels and Stark.
What the Fentanyl Charge Carries
The narcotics count Garst faces is comparatively lighter under state law. If the suspected substance is fentanyl, illegal possession of it for personal use is classified as a misdemeanor under California Health and Safety Code Section 11350, carrying up to one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, according to Bulldog Law.
Spike strips like the ones used to stop Garst are a standard but tightly controlled tool for California Highway Patrol officers. The agency's policy manual authorizes hollow spike strips to terminate high-speed freeway pursuits, but generally requires supervisor authorization before officers can deploy them.
Garst was arrested in Chico and booked in Yolo County. The Woodland Police Department announced the arrest in a Facebook post, and the case marks the latest in a string of pursuits and arrests along the Interstate 5 corridor near Woodland, following an unrelated case last month involving a newborn found beneath I-5.
