Sioux Center, Iowa — A Sioux Center man was arrested at gunpoint on Friday in Sioux Center.
A criminal complaint filed with the Clerk of Court’s Office by the Sioux Center Police says 29-year-old Yoel Hernandez-Garcia of Sioux Center is accused of eluding, speeding, driving drunk, and more.
In his statement, the officer says that while he was stopped with his emergency lights still activated from a previous stop, Hernandez-Garcia approached at a very high rate of speed, estimated at over 90 miles per hour. The officer says he immediately activated his audible siren. The officer’s statement says Hernandez-Garcia’s vehicle made a violent swerve into the turn lane, then swerved sharply onto the gravel shoulder, sliding sideways for a short distance before regaining control. Hernandez-Garcia then made a right-hand turn onto 20th Street Northwest at an extremely high rate of speed and accelerated to approximately 80 miles per hour. The officer says that about a half mile down the road, railroad tracks crossed the roadway with a train actively passing and blocking the road. Hernandez-Garcia came to a stop at the crossing. The officer says he gave the driver loud verbal commands at gunpoint to exit the vehicle.
The officer says that after repeated commands and no initial compliance, Hernandez-Garcia finally exited the vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident.
He says he found an open container in the passenger compartment and more open containers in the trunk.
The officer says Hernandez-Garcia had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, extremely impaired balance, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. He is said to have admitted to consuming approximately six alcoholic beverages prior to operating the vehicle. He is also alleged to have subsequently failed the standardized field sobriety tests and registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.173 on a preliminary breath test. The officer also accuses him of providing a false name and date of birth. Hernandez-Garcia is also alleged to have been under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident. He was also alleged to have been driving with a suspended license.
He was charged with eluding at 25 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, a class D felony. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison. He also faces misdemeanor charges of OWI, reckless driving, speeding, driving without a valid license, open container, presenting a false ID to a law officer, interference with official acts, and driving under suspension.
He faces a preliminary hearing on April 21st.
At last report, Hernandez-Garcia remained in the Sioux County Jail in Orange City in lieu of a $5000 bond.
