Crime & Safety
Seatbelt Violation Leads to Driver's Arrest
By Bay City News Service
A Cloverdale man got more than a ticket when he neglected to click it on Tuesday afternoon. California Highway Patrol Officer Kimberly Lemons noticed that John Francis Avilla, 30, was not wearing his seat belt as he drove in front of her on northbound U.S. Highway 101 near Arata Lane in Windsor around 3:30 p.m., CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.
When she pulled him over, Avilla verbally identified himself as his brother, then as one of his friends, before his true identity was determined, Sloat said. Lemons learned that Avilla had three felony warrants for his arrest on drug charges, and that his license had been suspended in 2003 for DUI, according to Sloat.
He was booked into Sonoma County Jail for the warrants, driving on a suspended license and impersonating another to avoid prosecution, Sloat said.
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