Man charged with fleeing from police in stolen vehicle

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 18, 2024

SALISBURY — A Mooresville man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a car from a family member and leading deputies on a police chase Monday.

The incident began at approximately 10 p.m. on U.S. Highway 70 when a deputy clocked a silver Chevrolet sedan at 90 mph in a 50 mph zone, according to Captain Mark McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy then reportedly caught up to and attempted to stop the vehicle near the Amity Hill Road intersection.

The driver allegedly ignored the deputy and kept driving at a high rate of speed along Highway 70 before running a red light and turning right onto Bear Poplar Road. There, the driver momentarily lost control of the vehicle and almost crashed, said McDaniel. After almost crashing, the Chevrolet continued driving at a much slower rate of speed.

An officer with the Cleveland Police Department reportedly joined the chase near the Redmond Road intersection. The Chevrolet continued to slow down until it stopped in the 2000 block of Bear Poplar Road, where the driver, identified as 22-year-old Sebastian Mycle Barnes, was arrested without further incident, according to McDaniel. The deputies reportedly found during the arrest that the displayed registration tag did not belong on the Chevrolet and that Barnes was driving with an inactive driver’s license. Deputies also noticed an odor of alcohol coming from Barnes, said McDaniel.

While transporting Barnes to the Rowan County Magistrate’s Office, the deputy was reportedly notified by communications that a woman had called and reported the Chevrolet as stolen. The woman told deputies that she had allowed Barnes, who was her cousin, to sit in her car and listen to music and he drove away.

Barnes was charged with felony flee to elude, misdemeanor speeding more than 15 mph over the limit, misdemeanor driving without an operator’s license, misdemeanor reckless driving with wanton disregard, misdemeanor failure to stop at a stop light and misdemeanor driving left of center. Barnes was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center and was not given bond due to the Pretrial Integrity Act.