Drunken man agrees with police to return stolen car. Then he changes his mind

Visalia police say a drunken man who allegedly stole a car from a dealership Saturday appeared to change his mind after agreeing with police to bring it back, setting off a low-speed pursuit that ended with his arrest.

Manuel Garcia, 41, allegedly took a car on a test drive on Saturday afternoon, but failed to return it to the dealership on the 1400 block of East Mineral King. Police called Garcia and asked him to return the car, and he initially agreed, police say.

But as Garcia arrived back to the dealership, he didn’t stop, and allegedly began to leave the area again. Officers followed him briefly, attempting to pull him over, until he came to a stop.

Garcia was arrested on suspicion of failing to yield and DUI. A case has also been forwarded to the district attorney’s office for vehicle theft, police said.

This story was originally published February 4, 2018 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Drunken man agrees with police to return stolen car. Then he changes his mind."