Perris Man Arrested After Driving Stolen Tractor on Highway 74

A Perris man is in police custody after being discovered driving a tractor down Highway 74 at midnight this morning, police said.

German Avalos, 25, was spotted by a Riverside County Sheriff's deputy driving a Caterpillar Skid Steer Tractor on the public roadway near Highway 74 and Dexter Avenue. The tractor did not have any lights and was a danger to other vehicular traffic. Deputies attempted to conduct an enforcement stop on the tractor, but the driver continued to travel eastbound on Highway 74.

The tractor traveled through a field off Conard Avenue and 3rd Street, back to Highway 74 and to El Toro Cutoff. The tractor drove through three fences in an attempt to evade the Sheriff’s helicopter overhead. Avalos abandoned the tractor and was arrested a short time later, police said.

Avalos was booked at the Southwest Detention Center for vehicle theft and evading law enforcement.