NBC Palm Springs reports that a 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of DUI after leading Cathedral City Police officers on a high-speed pursuit on Saturday.
Sgt Daniel Anes with the Cathedral City Police Department told NBC that Zeus Rico of Desert Hot Springs has been charged with suspicion of driving while intoxicated, evading arrest, resisting arrest, and animal cruelty.
The incident began shortly after 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, when an officer attempted to stop the suspect, who ran a red light at the intersection of East Palm Canyon and Van Fleet Street in his 2019 Honda Civic.
Rico refused to yield and led the officer in a high-speed pursuit on Highway 111 to Indio. Sgt. Anes said that Rico crossed over into the opposite lanes as he was attempting to evade the officer.
“After the pursuit was canceled, the suspect drove another 3.5 miles before he lost control and crashed at the intersection of Indio Boulevard and Van Buren Street,” Anes said in a written statement. “The suspect collided with two gas pumps at the Sinclair gas station.”
The force of impact from the vehicle hitting the gas pumps triggered a fire that engulfed the suspect vehicle and the two gas pumps.
The Indio Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire a short time later.
Rico was taken to an area hospital for treatment and was arrested immediately following his release by doctors. Arrest records indicate that Rico was driving on a suspended license and has had at least one previous DUI arrest.
According to Anes, Rico also had his dog with him at the time of the crash. The animal was not hurt in the incident and was taken to an animal shelter.
Rico was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility and continues to be held on a $100,000 bond.
