RAINS COUNTY, Texas — An Arkansas man has been booked into an East Texas jail on multiple charges after leading police on a high-speed chase early Monday morning.
A Rains County Sheriff's Office deputy noticed a vehicle on the shoulder of State Highway 19 north of the Rains County line around 7:15 a.m. When the deputy checked on the driver, the deputy could see a man was asleep or passed out with a pistol between his legs.
The sheriff's office said the deputy and backup officers tried to wake up the driver, and when he woke up he fled in his vehicle. The driver, who was later identified as Kenneth Scalerico, 27, of Bismarck, Arkansas, traveled southbound toward Emory when Texas Department of Public Safety troopers joined the pursuit.
Police said he turned right onto US Highway 69 and headed towards the city of Point at speeds of 115 mph. Officers say he drove through Point at speeds over 100 mph.
As Scalerico arrived to the Hunt and Rains County line, he turned left onto FM 2737 and continued at speeds of over 100 mph. While nearing State Highway 276, he turned left and headed back toward Emory, police said.
According to the sheriff's office, Scalerico turned left on to County Road 1425 and tried to evade the officer by driving through yards. He entered Highway 276 and turned right southbound on to Private Road 5505 while going through yards and road ditches.
He kept driving until the road came to a dead end. He drove out into a field and got out of the vehicle with the pistol in his hand. After a brief chase by foot, he threw the gun into a wooded area and surrendered.
He was arrested and booked into the Rains County Jail on charges of evading arrest, detention with a motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, police said.
The gun was recovered from the scene around 7:45 a.m. Monday.
